What is a .ELC file?
An .ELC file is a type of file used by Emacs, which is a program that lets you edit text in a very customizable way. This .ELC file is special because it's not just any text file; it's a Lisp file that has been compiled. Lisp is a programming language, and when you write code in Lisp for Emacs, you usually save it with a .EL extension.
When you compile this Lisp code, it means you're turning the code into a form that Emacs can use more quickly and efficiently. The result is an .ELC file. This file might contain settings to change how Emacs works for you, or it might add new features to the program.
To open an .ELC file, you need to use Gnu Emacs, which is the same program that can create these files. It's like how you need a specific key to open a specific lock; Gnu Emacs is the key to your .ELC file.
If you have a Lisp file (with a .EL extension) that you want to compile into an .ELC file, you can do this directly in Emacs. You would use a command that looks like this: `byte-compile-file "filename.el"`. Remember, you should replace "filename.el" with the name of your actual file. After you run this command, Emacs will work its magic and create a new file that ends in .ELC. This new file is a compiled version of your original file, and it can be opened and run faster by Emacs than the original Lisp file.
In summary, .ELC files are compiled Lisp files used by Emacs to make certain features run faster. You need Emacs to open these files, and you can also use Emacs to create them from .EL files. This process helps improve the performance of Emacs, making it quicker to load and use the custom features or settings you've added through Lisp programming.
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