just before the real definition of the function in its
autoloadable source file. The command @kbd{M-x update-file-autoloads}
writes a corresponding @code{autoload} call into @file{loaddefs.el}.
+(The string that serves as the autoload cookie and the name of the
+file generated by @code{update-file-autoloads} can be changed from the
+above defaults, see below.)
Building Emacs loads @file{loaddefs.el} and thus calls @code{autoload}.
@kbd{M-x update-directory-autoloads} is even more powerful; it updates
autoloads for all files in the current directory.
...)
@end smallexample
+ You can use a non-default string as the autoload cookie and have the
+corresponding autoload calls written into a file whose name is
+different from the default @file{loaddefs.el}. Emacs provides two
+variables to control this:
+
+@defvar generate-autoload-cookie
+The value of this variable should be a string whose syntax is a Lisp
+comment. @kbd{M-x update-file-autoloads} copies the Lisp form that
+follows the cookie into the autoload file it generates. The default
+value of this variable is @code{";;;###autoload"}.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar generated-autoload-file
+The value of this variable names an Emacs Lisp file where the autoload
+calls should go. The default value is @file{loaddefs.el}, but you can
+override that, e.g., in the ``Local Variables'' section of a
+@file{.el} file (@pxref{File Local Variables}). The autoload file is
+assumed to contain a trailer starting with a formfeed character.
+@end defvar
+
@node Repeated Loading
@section Repeated Loading
@cindex repeated loading