We Should Be Able to Change Our Languages
2 days ago
- - Programming languages are treated as fixed artifacts, and changing or customizing them is generally resisted.
- - Traditional criticisms of macros say they alter the language, obscure code during debugging, and are often understood only by their authors.
- - AI tools now make it easier to understand complex or unfamiliar code, reducing the force of those criticisms.
- - Understanding every line of code matters less than before because AI can work effectively with code that humans may not fully understand.
- - AI-written code can benefit from macros because macros encode conventions and enforce consistency across large codebases.
- - Sweetener is a project that brings macros to TypeScript, allowing custom operators, algebraic datatypes, and TSX control flow.
- - Macros enable faster language experimentation without building a full compiler or waiting for committee approval.
- - The article argues that modern AI capabilities remove the old reasons for distrusting homegrown language extensions.