Portable Programming Using Macro Processors

Abstract

As an alternative to portable programming using a standard high-level language, a special-purpose language could be used. Such a language must be implemented anew for each target machine before the portable software itself is transferred. One way of arranging this is to use macro processing techniques. The method is not widely used, but it forms the basis of some highly instructive projects described in the literature. Furthermore, it provides an illuminating introduction to two ideas — language levels and bootstrapping methods — that are central to the following chapter on portable compilers.