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+# Bash-it Development
+
+This page summarizes a couple of rules to keep in mind when developing features or making changes in Bash-it.
+
+## Load Order
+
+### General Load Order
+
+The main `bash_it.sh` script loads the frameworks individual components in the following order:
+
+* `lib/composure.bash`
+* `themes/colors.theme.bash`
+* `themes/base.theme.bash`
+* Files in `lib` with the exception of `appearance.bash` - this means that `composure.bash` is loaded again here (possible improvement?)
+* Enabled `aliases`
+* Enabled `plugins`
+* Enabled `completions`
+* `lib/appearance.bash`, which loads the selected theme
+* Custom `aliases`
+* Custom `plugins`
+* Custom `completions`
+* Additional custom files from either `$BASH_IT/custom` or `$BASH_IT_CUSTOM`
+
+This order is subject to change.
+
+### Individual Component Load Order
+
+For `aliases`, `plugins` and `completions`, the following rules are applied that influence the load order:
+
+* Each type has its own `enabled` directory, into which the enabled components are linked into. Enabled plugins are symlinked from `$BASH_IT/plugins/available` to `$BASH_IT/plugins/enabled` for example.
+* Within each of the `enabled` directories, the files are loaded in alphabetical order.
+* When enabling a component, a _load priority_ is assigned to the file. The following default priorities are used:
+    * Aliases: 150
+    * Plugins: 250
+    * Completions: 350
+* When symlinking a component into an `enabled` directory, the load priority is used as a prefix for the linked name, separated with three dashes from the name of the component. The `node.plugin.bash` would be symlinked to `250---node.plugin.bash` for example.
+* Each file can override the default load priority by specifying a new value. To do this, the file needs to include a comment in the following form. This example would cause the `node.plugin.bash` (if included in that file) to be linked to `225---node.plugin.bash`:
+
+```bash
+# BASH_IT_LOAD_PRIORITY: 225
+```