How to abbreviate context names?

Question

It's convenient to abbreviate often-used function names, eg Dim = Dimension.

Is it possible to abbreviate long context symbols, e.g. Combinatorica when the context is not inserted in the context path, like with

Block[{$ContextPath}, Needs["Combinatorica`"]]

Com = Combinatorica doesn't work, eg: Com`Star[6] is fixed by the interpreter. Is there a way to abbreviate it?

Answer 1

I am not sure these are the best ways but they should work. You could do what you did with Dimensions for all the symbols in Combinatorica`

For example, running this

replaceAndLoad[context_String -> toContext_String] := 
 Block[{$ContextPath},
  Needs[context];
  Scan[ToExpression[
     toContext <> StringReplace[#, context ~~ sym__ :> sym] <> 
      "=" <> #] &, Names[context <> "*"]]
  ]

Now, do

replaceAndLoad["Combinatorica`" -> "Com`"]

You could also overload MakeExpression to change Com to Combinatorica at the parsing stage... But I would probably do something different and basic, like an InputAlias or InputAutoReplacement. With these you could even replace them with a framed box in a special color that means "context combinatorica", or a tooltip, or simply an Interpretation that writes Com`stuff but is interpreted as Combinatorica`...

Answer 2

This question is not too distantly related to my own on StackOverflow:

Exposing Symbols to $ContextPath

Leonid provides an interesting approach there that could be adapted to your problem.

Rojo provides a solution that creates "proxy symbols" but these are not 100% equivalent. Information no longer works correctly for example:

?? Com`KSubsets

This only gives the name of the Symbol it points to an not the usage message or the definition.

I prefer using $PreRead for situations like this (e.g. here). Although it only works interactively it has the advantage of using the actual symbols rather than proxies, so all the functions like Unprotect, Information, etc. work correctly.

Block[{$ContextPath}, Needs["Combinatorica`"]]

$PreRead = # /. 
    name_String?(StringMatchQ[#, "Com`*"] &) :> 
     With[{nn = StringReplace[name, "Com`" -> "Combinatorica`"]}, 
      nn /; NameQ[nn]] &;

Now Information et al work correctly:

?? Com`KSubsets