[fpc-devel] Macro Processing

[Daniël Mantione]

Op Sun, 15 May 2011, schreef Joerg Schuelke:

> Am Sat, 14 May 2011 20:46:30 +0200 (CEST)
> schrieb Daniël Mantione <daniel.mantione at freepascal.org>:
>
>> Inlining is better that doing the same with macro's, so is the use of
>> str/val better than macro tricks.
>
> Wherever you can!
> If I do some low level system work, it is possibly better to do it with
> a macro.
>
> If I have a project where rtti is needed anyway, I would be dumb not to
> use it instead of a macro, if it fits the needs.

Even if you have a project where RTTI is not needed, you would be thumb 
not to use it instead of a macro. Really. There is no drawback.

> What is the need of rtti: pointer to base classes do not know
> to which possibly derived class they point. Thats why *runtime* type
> information.

You are completely mistaken. This is what C++ uses RTTI for. FPC (nor 
Delphi) does not use RTTI for this purpose at all! We have the typeof 
function for this, which returns a pointer to the VMT. I even have no idea 
wether the RTTI can be used for this purpose at all :)

> All other things which you use in your program do not need
> runtime type information, they always know who they are. If I do not
> use objects or classes I have therefor no need for runtime type
> information.

You are wrong again. Ansistrings/widestrings/variants and so on make use 
of RTTI.

> To get the associated name of an enum? Thats compile time information.

Then show a practical example where having it at compile time is a real 
benefit. Please understand it clear: We are not against new features, but 
there must be a benefit.

> If there is a need for this it should be delivered to me by something
> like {$I %enumname%enum%}, I think you would not like to have it this
> way. But {$I %color%red%} will hopefully give 'red'. While {$I %color%}
> maybe gives then 'red,green,blue' :-)
>
> What is the need of a macro processor:To change the handwritten code in
> an automated way. Is this a bad idea? Are there no needs for this?
>
> For example to hold to lists with same entries under all circumstances
> in sync. A macro does this in the simplest manner.
>
> If you have an need for changing your handwritten code in an automated
> way and you do not have macros, what would you use then? LaTeX? an IDE
> tool?, m4? or inventing an compiler feature, but then do not call it
> rtti, call it a macro. (thats pretty polemic, don´t worry)

Feel free to come up with examples and convince us. They need to be 
examples of code that is much more awkward to write without macro's.

Daniël