TLUG Mailing List

Re: [tlug] "Go Considered Harmful"

Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2020 09:12:05 +0200

From: Josh Glover <jmglov@example.com>

Subject: Re: [tlug] "Go Considered Harmful"

References: <24395.55410.359899.75152@turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp> <CADR0rnf86TcHyrFsTwfPPy-NN_Ucnm4zEasNxkOSH0E_7YxbqQ@mail.gmail.com> <20200831060403.bbisgyntkoqmhtnk@logarithmic.cjs.cynic.net> <24397.4.354556.630827@turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp> <20200831171027.4d3jbxefkczumgnz@iambic.cynic.net> <24398.34705.508876.43187@turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp> <20200902032052.c6trw45pkb6gizaz@iambic.cynic.net> <CAFv52OC=9M9Cf2nP_3K6HjbXhavwn1dmsedDwgKL2YLH4GekMA@mail.gmail.com> <20200902054202.qhfw6qbvioknhtnj@iambic.cynic.net> <24400.24150.236422.455217@turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp> <CAFv52OA2fYLybcEgPL=BBhMae7WqXoc8-9=d1fREY5Hs73TvZg@mail.gmail.com> <24400.57175.625274.187220@turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp>

On Thu, 3 Sep 2020 at 14:23, Stephen J. Turnbull <turnbull.stephen.fw@example.com> wrote:

Josh Glover writes:

> I really prefer Scheme over Common LISP, and my favourite Scheme is
> Racket. Is that where you're finding your hygenic macros?

Hygienic macros are a Scheme thing. Basically,
traditional macros introduce a form of unmarked dynamic scope (hi
Curt!) Hygienic macros are supposed to prevent that by lexically
scoping certain variables introduced by the macro.

Yup, I know what they are. I haven't really been bitten by this in Clojure (because I don't write many macros, probably), and I quite often *want* that dynamic scoping, because my macros are basically delaying code evaluation. Clojure has an auto-gensym mechanism that's good enough for rudimentary hygiene. I've listened to a few podcast episodes with Matthias Felleisen explaining Racket's macro system, and it sounds both cool and more complicated than I need. ;)

Cheers,
Josh