Python syntax in Lisp and Scheme

[Frode Vatvedt Fjeld]

Alex Martelli <aleax at aleax.it> writes:

> Sure, but aren't these the examples that are being presented?  Isn't
> "with-collector" a general purpose iteration construct, etc?  Maybe
> only _special_ purpose ones should be built with macros (if you are
> right that _general_ purpose ones should not be), but the subtleness
> of the distinction leaves me wondering about the practice.

It is a subtle distinction, just like a lot of other issues in
programming are quite subtle. And I think this particular issue
deserves more attention than it has been getting (so far as I know).

As for the current practice, I know that I quite dislike code that
uses things like with-collector, and I especially dislike it when I
have to look at the macro's expansion to see what is going on, and I
know there are perfectly fine alternatives in the standard syntax. On
the other hand, I do like it when I see a macro call that reduces tens
or even hundreds of lines of code to just a few lines that make it
immediately apparent what's happening. And I know I'd never want to
use a language with anything less than lisp's macros.

-- 
Frode Vatvedt Fjeld