# Load vs Require

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/load-vs-require/98224>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [January 28, 2006, 12:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/load-vs-require/98224 "2006-01-28T12:02:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Hugo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/b38774/32.png) [@Hugo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Hugo)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 12:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/load-vs-require/98224/1 "2006-01-28T12:02:21Z")

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Hello all!  
Is there any difference between using Load and Require?  
These two methods have the same performance?

Thank you for your answers.

Best regards,  
Hugo

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**Author:** ![Hugo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/b38774/32.png) [@Hugo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Hugo)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 12:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/load-vs-require/98224/2 "2006-01-28T12:25:14Z")

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On 2006.01.28 20:02, Hugo wrote:

> Hello all!  
> Is there any difference between using Load and Require?  
> These two methods have the same performance?

#load always loads and interprets the file in question,  
whereas #require will only do it the first time around  
(filenames required earlier in $" or $LOADED\_FEATURES).  
This is very useful if you have a file that might change  
while the program is running.

Here the two methods have distinctly different effects,  
so efficiency should not really be a factor–just use  
#load only when above behaviour is desired.

(And, in general, worry about performance only after  
you have profiled your program and identified the  
bottlenecks 🙂

> Thank you for your answers.
> 
> Best regards,  
> Hugo

E