It would be nice if the functionality of importFrom() and import() were
available to user level code, rather than just to people building packages
for distribution. One most often encounters namespace conflicts at the user
level, when loading two packages that have no logical connection other than
both bearing on your problem of the moment.

R conflates "having namespaces" with "having a library distribution
mechanism" and while its library distribution mechanism is top notch, most
modern languages do not require you to learn the distribution procedure in
order to just have namespaces.

For instance, in Python you merely put code in a file called foo.py and
then in any other file in the same directory you type "import functionName
from foo". I.E. using namespaces does not require you to build/install
packages. Python namespaces are also hierarchical so that the question of
this thread would easily be resolved by putting functions into
foo._internal and in other packages typing import * from "foo._internal"

Peter

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