[r6rs-discuss] On naming the next scheme(s) [was scheme-reports.org]

[Brian Mastenbrook]

On Aug 24, 2009, at 10:20 AM, Peter Bex wrote:

> In the interest of keeping Small Scheme small, it would be a good idea
> to provide only low-level macros in Small Scheme and have syntax-rules
> be an optional (or not-so-optional? recommended?) library built on top
> of these low-level macros.

`syntax-rules' is much easier to implement than the standard low-level  
macro system from R6RS, as the underling implementation methodology is  
left up to the choice of the implementor. If you're thinking of  
unhygienic macros, I think this would be a horrible idea; lexical  
scoping of *all* identifiers, including those in syntax definitions,  
is central to the Scheme idea.
--
Brian Mastenbrook
brian at mastenbrook.net
http://brian.mastenbrook.net/