Re: macros, procedure->macro

[Neil Jerram]

>>>>> "Dirk" == Dirk Herrmann <address@hidden> writes:

    Dirk> 1) Some macro expert should check that replacing the call to
    procedure-> macro in boot-9.scm by a call to
    procedure->memoizing-macro is safe.

This change is safe, since define-option-interface is only ever used
at top level.

    Dirk> 2) Every guile user should determine, whether it would be OK
    Dirk> if we got rid of "macros".

    Dirk> 3) Decide officially, whether it is OK to remove "macros" from the 
head
    Dirk> branch.

    Dirk> If all results are positive, I will go ahead and remove the support
    Dirk> for "macros" from guile.  After that, I will take a close look at 
"acros"
    Dirk> and we will play a similar game with "acros" again...

Before doing this, I think we need to state clearly when macro
expansion will happen in the future Guile.

There was a discussion on this just a few weeks ago which, to my mind,
was left unresolved.

(As far as I understand, the options are just after reading and just
before memoization, but just-after-reading makes recursive macro
definitions difficult, and just-before-memoization leads to rather
lame execution-dependent expansion.

Obviously, by definition, the exact timing only matters for
non-hygienic macros; but my assumption is that an awful lot of people
want non-hygienic macros.)

        Neil

PS. I think we should not mix up this discussion with one about class
redefinition!