First cut of loading NQPCORE.setting by default, overridable at the command line with --setting=NULL or --setting=OTHER. Seems to work, including how it intersects with interactive mode (uses the same outer-setting mechanism...yay). Big missing piece: setting loading not handled in pre-compiled code yet.

Author: jnthn

src/NQP/Actions.pm

@@ -158,6 +158,11 @@ method newpad($/) {
 
 method outerctx($/) {
     our @BLOCK;
+    unless pir::defined(%*COMPILING<%?OPTIONS><outer_ctx>) {
+        # We haven't got a specified outer context already, so load a
+        # setting. XXX Won't work for pre-compiled case yet.
+        pir::compreg__Ps('NQP-rx').load_setting(%*COMPILING<%?OPTIONS><setting> // 'NQPCORE');
+    }
     self.SET_BLOCK_OUTER_CTX(@BLOCK[0]);
 }
 

src/NQP/Compiler.pm

@@ -1,2 +1,17 @@
 class NQP::Compiler is HLL::Compiler {
+    method load_setting($setting_name) {
+        if $setting_name ne 'NULL' {
+            # Try to load setting and get context.
+            my $*CTXSAVE := self;
+            my $*MAIN_CTX;
+            pir::load_bytecode("$setting_name.setting.pbc");
+            unless pir::defined($*MAIN_CTX) {
+                pir::die("Unable to load setting $setting_name; maybe it is missing a YOU_ARE_HERE?");
+            }
+            
+            # Now it's loaded, set it as the outer context of the code
+            # being compiled.
+            %*COMPILING<%?OPTIONS><outer_ctx> := $*MAIN_CTX;
+        }
+    }
 }