(m4.info)Frozen files

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15 Fast loading of frozen state
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Some bigger 'm4' applications may be built over a common base containing
hundreds of definitions and other costly initializations.  Usually, the
common base is kept in one or more declarative files, which files are
listed on each 'm4' invocation prior to the user's input file, or else
each input file uses 'include'.

   Reading the common base of a big application, over and over again,
may be time consuming.  GNU 'm4' offers some machinery to speed up the
start of an application using lengthy common bases.

Using frozen files

Using frozen files

Frozen file format

Frozen file format