alt Hacker NewsGenerally, it enables type-safe, ahead-of-time compiled code to perform work at compile time that would require runtime execution in many other languages
Generally, it enables type-safe, ahead-of-time compiled code to perform work at compile time that would require runtime execution in many other languages
That's true but it's not the most important aspect of macros. Macros let you define a new language that describes your problem solution more directly than you can in raw Lisp. In other words they let you create a Domain-Specific Lamguage (DSL). You can create DSLs in other languages too but it's so difficult that it's uncommon. In Lisp it's so easy that DSLs are a primary programming technique.