https://github.com/rofl0r/order-pp

order-pp preprocessor library (standalone part of chaos-pp)
https://github.com/rofl0r/order-pp

Last synced: about 1 month ago
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order-pp preprocessor library (standalone part of chaos-pp)

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/rofl0r/order-pp
• Owner: rofl0r
• License: bsl-1.0
• Created: 2012-03-16T23:02:50.000Z (over 12 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2021-09-03T08:20:41.000Z (about 3 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-02-17T10:35:33.864Z (7 months ago)
• Language: C
• Homepage: chaos-pp.sf.net
• Size: 954 KB
• Stars: 102
• Watchers: 10
• Forks: 13
• Open Issues: 2
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • License: LICENSE

Awesome Lists containing this project

• awesome-c-preprocessor - rofl0r/order-pp - - order-pp preprocessor library (standalone part of chaos-pp). (Metaprogramming frameworks)

README

        
The Order Metalanguage for C Preprocessor Metaprogramming

=========================================================

From the preface I wrote years ago:

> Order grew out of my interest in the design of programming languages and

> metaprogramming as well as desire to make something original, fascinating and

> beautiful.  My work on the

> [Boost Preprocessor](http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_55_0/libs/preprocessor/doc/index.html)-library

> had left me unsatisfied.  While it was clear to me that it could theoretically

> be used to implement *useful* non-trivial metaprograms, it would have been

> quite tedious work, full of nasty little details and limitations to trip you

> up.  I considered the prospects for further enhancements to the library, but

> it didn't seem possible to provide a programming model that I would have

> considered pleasant to think in.  It occured to me that instead of attempting

> to provide semimodular enhancements on top of the C preprocessor in a

> bottom-up fashion, it might be possible to lift the limitations by designing a

> complete monolithic interpreter for a high-level source language in a top-down

> fashion.  After some experiments at interpreting lambda-calculus and a couple

> of prototype interpreters for early versions of the Order language, I was left

> with a feeling that it would be too inefficient to be practical.  The most

> serious limitation seemed to be the inability of the early prototypes to

> generate arbitrary output efficiently.  I decided to forget about the

> interpreter and move on, but the work proved too interesting for me to forget

> completely.  Over a long period of time I found several small incremental

> improvements to the interpreter until it suddenly started to look like more

> than a theoretical curiosity.  Then I knew I just had to finish the work.

> Hopefully everyone will be able to find some beauty in the result.  At least I

> know I've had a lot of fun designing the language.

Vesa Karvonen