[REBOL] Re: lisp-like backquotes macros
From: gabriele::colellachiara::com at: 26-Nov-2005 14:29
Hi Henri,
On Saturday, November 26, 2005, 1:19:18 PM, you wrote:
HM> I don't want it to be done at runtilme. The value is in fact the name
HM> of a variable, I create a standard block for a standard function, and
HM> then I create several functions using different variables by
HM> replicating/compositing the standard block.
Do you mind sharing the actual examples?
HM> Thank you very much, utility.r and build.r are nice, I will probably
HM> find a solution with them, nevertheless they all seem like workarounds
HM> for the lack of backquotes macros, I still don't understand why
HM> RebolTech decided to use parens for compose. The lispy method seems so
HM> much more comfortable, and more accurate with the use of "-" only when
HM> needed instead of the "/only".
But REBOL has no syntax, in the way Lisp does. So the way to do
that in REBOL is creating a dialect, like the BUILD function.
Since REBOL is more dynamic than Lisp (REBOL cannot be compiled,
while Lisp is a compilable language), it does not need macros as
much as Lisp does; so the need for a dialect like BUILD is not
that strong, and that's why it's not built in.
It has to be said, that while you would not be able to really do
macros in Lisp without having quoting, i.e. without support in the
syntax, you can do all that in REBOL without any special support.
Regards,
Gabriele.
--
Gabriele Santilli <gabriele-rebol.com> --- http://www.rebol.com/
Colella Chiara software division --- http://www.colellachiara.com/
