Macros in the large (was: ...)

[Adam Turoff <address@hidden>]

On Fri, May 24, 2002 at 03:38:37PM -0400, Dorai Sitaram wrote:
> > I am puzzled.  Could you please elaborate on what you
> > mean by "decreasing the regularity"?
> > 
> > --Guy Steele
> 
> Macros help create 
> many little languages, 
> each of them diff'rent.

This sounds like one of the problems that has plagued Tcl over the
years -- a twisty, turny maze of dialects, all different.

The localized benefits of macros are pretty clear.  Does anyone
have data on the benefits or drawbacks to macros in the long view?
Re-inventing Tcl's problems sounds like a bad idea to me, and I'd
like to hear why macros are a net plus beyond the scope of a single
project or something like a sitewide usage guide.

Z.