Erlang: Cannot include header

Question

I start like this:

[root@Oracle-linux-60 rabbitmq_server-3.5.6]# erl -pa ebin
Erlang/OTP 18 [erts-7.1] [source] [64-bit] [async-threads:10] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false]

Eshell V7.1  (abort with ^G)
1> -include("include/amqp_client.hrl").
** exception error: undefined shell command include/1

Why it doesn't recognize include ?

Answer 1

Erlang modules are really forms, but these directives are not 'Erlang' and can't be compiled, therefore this does not work.

If you want to import records you can do it with rr("include/amqp_client.hrl").

Answer 2

You can only enter expressions in the Erlang shell, and -include is not an expression. Similarly you can't define named functions, declare modules, etc. See eg http://ulf.wiger.net/weblog/2007/11/20/extending-the-erlang-shell-part-1/