The tracking issue for this feature is: #44660

The extern_in_paths feature allows to refer to names from other crates "inline", without introducing extern crate items, using keyword extern.

For example, extern::my_crat::a::b will resolve to path a::b in crate my_crate.

feature(extern_absolute_paths) mode provides the same effect by resolving absolute paths like ::my_crate::a::b to paths from extern crates by default.

#![feature(extern_in_paths)]

// Suppose we have a dependency crate `xcrate` available through `Cargo.toml`, or `--extern`
// options, or standard Rust distribution, or some other means.

use extern::xcrate::Z;

fn f() {
    use extern::xcrate;
    use extern::xcrate as ycrate;
    let s = xcrate::S;
    assert_eq!(format!("{:?}", s), "S");
    let z = ycrate::Z;
    assert_eq!(format!("{:?}", z), "Z");
}

fn main() {
    let s = extern::xcrate::S;
    assert_eq!(format!("{:?}", s), "S");
    let z = Z;
    assert_eq!(format!("{:?}", z), "Z");
}