[gambit-list] Macros and standard

Yves Parès limestrael at gmail.com
Fri Jul 30 17:21:21 EDT 2010


Okay, so I had not understood the sense of "non hygienic".

> Once compiled all your scheme code can play together nicely.
But what if I run all the code with the interpreter?

And why is define-syntax deactivated by default?

The idea is that I think it is a good habit when programming to learn the
standard, and then use extensions to carry out the things which can't be
done (or can't easily be done) with the standard.

2010/7/30 Frederick LeMaster <fred.lemaster at gmail.com>

> First off, define-macro predates define-syntax. Also, sometimes you
> need a macro system that is nonhygenic, such as when you want to
> inject new symbols into the environment. Once compiled all your scheme
> code can play together nicely.
>
> On Fri, Jul 30, 2010 at 1:50 PM, Yves Parès <limestrael at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hello!
> >
> > I'm new to scheme and gambit. I've read "A tour of scheme in Gambit", and
> > now I'm learning the language through "The scheme programming language"
> > (http://www.scheme.com/tspl3/).
> > My question concerns define-syntax VS define-macro.
> > If I understood well, the first is standard scheme (*) whereas the latter
> is
> > not. Besides, "A tour of scheme in Gambit" qualifies define-macro as
> > "unhygienic" (**). Moreover (as I am from Haskell), I find
> define-syntax's
> > pattern-matching simpler. So:
> > 1) What is the point of define-macro? Why does "A tour of Scheme in
> Gambit"
> > encourages to use it, since it doesn't detail define-syntax?
> > 2) Why does gambit run by default in a non-standard mode (Gambit scheme,
> gsc
> > -:S) in which define-syntax doesn't exist whereas it is standard?
> > 3) I plan to use termite, which uses Gambit Scheme and not standard
> scheme
> > (gsc -:s). Can gambit scheme code call to procedures written in standard
> > scheme?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > (*) By 'standard' I mean R5RS.
> > (**) Word which, from my newbie point of view, kind of sounds like "evil"
> or
> > "don't-you-touch-it".
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Gambit-list mailing list
> > Gambit-list at iro.umontreal.ca
> > https://webmail.iro.umontreal.ca/mailman/listinfo/gambit-list
> >
> >
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.iro.umontreal.ca/pipermail/gambit-list/attachments/20100730/20a10deb/attachment.htm>


More information about the Gambit-list mailing list