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From: peter@nmti.com (Peter da Silva)
Subject: Re: GNU Extension Language Plans
Message-ID: <id.Y44E1.KLF@nmti.com>
Sender: peter@nmti.com (peter da silva)
Organization: Network/development platform support, NMTI
References: <9410190420.AA02904@mole.gnu.ai.mit.edu> <id.2E1E1.DMK@nmti.com> <38a3mk$lr8@csnews.cs.colorado.edu> <38ftvn$d4a@nntp1.u.washington.edu>
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 1994 14:53:56 GMT
Lines: 33
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu gnu.misc.discuss:19112 comp.lang.tcl:20815 comp.lang.scheme:10562 comp.lang.misc:18362 comp.lang.perl:36975

In article <38ftvn$d4a@nntp1.u.washington.edu>,
Tim Smith <tzs@u.washington.edu> wrote:
> Everyone seems to be assuming that the extension language built into the
> program must be the same as the extension language that the user sees.
> Yet this is not so.  What would be wrong with building in something that
> is small, simple, and fast (e.g., Forth), and then providing tools to
> compile something else to that (e.g., a gcc backend that generates Forth
> instead of assembly)?

Using an arbitrary syntax to avoid favoritism:

	display	"Enter keystroke: "
	read keystroke
	display "Enter macro: "
	read macro
	define_key_macro %keystroke %macro

Now, if you're using an external compiler you need to run that compiler
from "define_key_macro".

Now suppose you're reading these from an X resource at startup. You're going
to have to call the compiler for *each* resource in turn.

Sorry, it just don't work. The underlying language *is* going to be exposed
to the user.

That doesn't mean that Scheme isn't a fine language for this, just that it's
nonsense to pretend the underlying language doesn't matter.
-- 
Peter da Silva                                            `-_-'
Network Management Technology Incorporated                 'U`
1601 Industrial Blvd.     Sugar Land, TX  77478  USA
+1 713 274 5180                       "Hast Du heute schon Deinen Wolf umarmt?"
