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* Re: [TUHS] bare m4 (was BTL summmer employees)
@ 2020-08-22  3:29 Doug McIlroy
  2020-08-22 20:19 ` Dave Horsfall
                   ` (2 more replies)
  0 siblings, 3 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Doug McIlroy @ 2020-08-22  3:29 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: tuhs

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 417 bytes --]


> >> Even high-school employees could make lasting contributions.  I am
> >> indebted to Steve for a technique he conceived during his first summer
> >> assignment: using macro definitions as if they were units of associative
> >> memory. This view of macros stimulated previously undreamed-of uses.
>
> > Can you give some examples of what this looked like?
>

See attached for an answer to Arnold's question

Doug

[-- Attachment #2: defonly.m4 --]
[-- Type: text/plain, Size: 11265 bytes --]

define(_,`dnl')_  unobtrusive dnl, used for readability
_
_ m4 is Turing complete even when stripped to the bare minimum
_ of one builtin: `define'. This is not news; Christopher Strachey
_ demonstrated it in his ancestral GPM, described in "A general 
_ purpose macrogenerator", The Computer Journal 8 (1965) 225-241.
_ 
_ This program illustrates the fact by implementing bit-by-bit
_ binary arithmetic, systematically employing some unusual m4
_ idioms, used in largely functional style:
_
_  1. Case-switching via macro names constructed on the fly.
_  2. Representing data structures by nested parenthesized lists.
_  3. Using macros as named places to store data.
_
_ A case switch (Idiom 1)
_
_ An essential feature of programming is conditional execution.
_ Suppose there are predicates that yield `T' or `F' for true
_ or false. A conditional switch of the form
_
_    if(<T or F>,`<T action>', `<F action>')
_
_ constructs calls for `if_T, or `if_F' that select the
_ appropriate action:
_
define(if,`if_$1(`$2',`$3')')_
define(if_T,`$1')_
define(if_F,`$2')_
_
_ Example
_
_    if(T,`yes',`no') => if_T(`yes',`no') => yes
_    if(F,`yes',`no') => if_F(`yes',`no') => no
_
_ Basic Boolean functions are easy to define in terms of `if':
_
define(not,`if($1,`F',`T')')_
define(and,`if($1,`$2',`F')')_
define(or,`if($1,`T',`$2')')_
define(xor,`if($1,`not($2)',`$2')')_
_
_ List representation (Idiom 2)
_
_ In order to provide access to individual members, sequences
_ of data values may be represented as right-associated lists.
_ In particular, binary integers may be represented in this
_ manner:
_
_    (1,(0,(1,(1,()))))
_
_ To facilitate arithmetic algorithms, the presentation
_ is little-endian. In customary base-2 notation the
_ example becomes 1101 (decimal 13). An empty list `()' acts
_ as terminator. Non-significant 0's (leading zeros in
_ customary notation) are not allowed;
_ the value zero is represented by the empty list.
_
_ Macros as named storage (Idiom 3)
_
_ Example
_
_    define(thirteen,`(1,(0,(1,(1,()))))')_
_
_ Individual list elements may be accessed by a pun, in which
_ the outer parentheses of a list are taken to be the
_ argument-list delimiters in a macro call. Two basic macros
_ use this schem to extract "head" and "tail" parts, <h>
_ and <t>, from a nonempty list:
_
_    head((<h>,<t>)) ==> <h>
_    tail((<h>,<t>)) ==> <t>
_
define(head,`_head$1')_
define(_head,`$1')_
_
define(tail,`_tail$1')_
define(_tail,`$2')_
_
_ Example
_
_    head(thirteen) ==> _head(1,(0,(1,(1,()))))  => 1
_    tail(thirteen) ==> _tail(1,(0,(1,(1,())))) => (0,(1,(1,()))
_
_ (In showing the progress of macro expansion => denotes a single
_ step; ==> denotes multiple steps.)
_
_ According to the rules of m4, `head' and `tail' also work on
_ the empty list, `()',in which case either function yields an
_ empty string, `'. This property of `head' will be exploited.
_
_ A digit-equality test, `eqd', is useful in arithmetic. It 
_ switches on two arguments chosen from the set {`', `0', `1'}
_ and yields `T' or `F' according as they are or are not equal.
_ The "digit" `' arises from expressions such as `head(())'.
_ The macro switches on its two arguments in the same way that
_ `if' switches on one argument.
_
define(eqd,`eqd_$1_$2()')_
define(eqd__,`T')_
define(eqd__0,`F')_
define(eqd__1,`F')_
_
define(eqd_0_,`F')_
define(eqd_0_0,`T')_
define(eqd_0_1,`F')_
_
define(eqd_1_,`F')_
define(eqd_1_0,`F')_
define(eqd_1_1,`T')_
_
_ Example
_
_    eqd(1,0) => eqd_1_0() => F
_
_ The () appended by `eqd' is defensive. If () were
_ omitted, then <text> would mistakenly be eaten in a
_ rare juxtaposition like
_
_    eqd(1,0)(<text>) => eqd_1_0(<text>) => F
_
_ The easiest arithmetic function is the successor function.
_ It can be programmed entirely in terms of functions
_ already defined. (The name `Succ' is capitalized to
_ distinguish it from a different implementation that
_ will soon be described.)
_
define(Succ,`if(eqd(head($1),`'),`(1,())','_
``if(eqd(head($1),`0'),`(1,tail($1))',`(0,Succ(tail($1)))')')')_
_
_ (Right and left quotes before and after `_' bring it to top
_ level to keep it out of the text of `Succ'.)
_
_ `Succ' ultimately expands in one of three different ways,
_ each presented in a different context: the first alternative
_ of an `if', the first alternative of a nested `if', and the
_ second alternative of an `if'. It would be notionally
_ cleaner to use a 3-way switch.
_
_ Unfortunately, overt switch code relies on Idiom 1, a glaring
_ deviation from the mainstream functional style employed in
_ `Succ'. Fortunately, a remedy is at hand: macros that hide
_ the idiom.
_
_ A general pattern for switching on the head of the operand of
_ a unary operation, <op>, is
_
_    define(<op>,`_<op>(head($1))($1)')_
_    define<_<op>,`<op>_$1')_
_
_ The pattern is hidden once and for all in the macro
_ `cases1(<op>)'.
_
define(cases1,`_cases1(dol(1),`$1')')_
define(_cases1,`define($2,`_$2(head($1))($1)')_
define(_$2,`$2_$1')')_
define(dol,`$$1')_
_
_ The magic here is the "dollar macro"
_
_    dol(1) => $1
_
_ which results in `$1' being substituted for `$1' [sic] throughout
_ the replacement text of `_cases1', while <op> is substituted for
_ `$2'. When <op> is `succ', the expansion proceeds thus:
_
_    cases1(succ) => _cases1(dol(1),`succ') =>
_    define(succ,`_succ(head($1))($1)')define(_succ,`succ_$1')
_
_ Code for individual cases of the successor function remains
_ to be supplied.
_
cases1(succ)_
define(succ_,`(1,())')_
define(succ_0,`(1,tail($1))')_
define(succ_1,`(0,succ(tail($1)))')_
_
_ Example
_
_    succ((1,()) => _succ(1,())((1,())) => succ_1((1,())) =>
_    (0,succ(tail((1,())))) ==> (0,succ(()) ==> (0,(1,()))
_
_ Some small constants may be defined for future use (Idiom 3).
_
define(zero,())_
define(one,succ(zero))_
define(two,succ(one))_
_
_ Here is a pretty-print macro that converts binary numbers
_ in list form to ordinary binary notation.
_
define(base2,`if(eqd(head($1),`'),`0',`_base2($1)')')_
cases1(_base2)
define(_base2_,`')_
define(_base2_0,`_base2(tail($1))0')_
define(_base2_1,`_base2(tail($1))1')_
_
_ Example, with `thirteen' as given in a previous example
_
_    base2(zero) ==> 0
_    base2(thirteen) ==> 1101
_
_ A counter based on `succ' may be held in a macro whose content may
_ be updated by a macro`incr' or read out simply by expanding it.
_
define(incr,`define(`$1',succ($1))')_
_
_ Example
_
_    define(mycounter,())
_    incr(`mycounter')
_    incr(`mycounter')
_    base2(mycounter) => 10
_
_ Binary operations may be defined by switching on two
_ parameters. The switching code, generated by a macro
_ `cases2', is very like that generated by `cases1' with
_ two calls of the dollar macro instead of one.
_ 
define(cases2,`_cases2(dol(1),dol(2),$1)')_
define(_cases2,`define($3,`_$3(head($1),head($2))($1,$2)')_
define(_$3,`$3_$1_$2')')_
_
_ Now comes addition of binary numbers
_
cases2(add)_
define(add__,zero)_
define(add__0,`$2')_
define(add__1,`$2')_
define(add_0_,`$1')_
define(add_0_0,`(0,add(tail($1),tail($2))')_
define(add_0_1,`(1,add(tail($1),tail($2))')_
define(add_1_,`$1')_
define(add_1_0,`(1,add(tail($1),tail($2))')_
define(add_1_1,`(0,add(tail($1),succ(tail($2))))')_
_
_ Further arithmetic operations like multiplication, power,
_ and comparisons can be programmed similarly, as can a 
_ a division operator that yields a (quotient,remainder)
_ pair.
_
_ Definitions of operations need not switch on all arguments.
_ This boringly similar macro provides the switch for
_ a function that switches on the second of two arguments:
_
define(cases2of2,`_cases2of2(dol(1),dol(2),$1)')_
define(_cases2of2,`define($3,`_$3(head($2))($1,$2)')_
define(_$3,`$3_$1')')_
_
_ A higher-level switch-generator might take the form
_
_    cases(<op>,<switchparms>,<parms>)
_
_ where <switchparms> is a list of parameter numbers to
_ switch on, and <parms> is a list of all parameter numbers.
_ Then cases2of2 would be definable without messing with
_ the dollar macro:
_
_    define(case2of2,`cases(<op>,(2,()),(1,(2,())))')
_
_ Other data types
_
_ The basic list-processing operations, head and tail, are
_ agnostic about the content of lists. Head values can
_ come from any set, for example alphanumeric characters.
_ In principle a string-equality operator declared
_ by `cases2(eqs)' could be programmed to yield `T' or
_ `F' for examples like
_
_    eqs((W,(O,(R,(D,(1,()))))),(W,(O,(R,(D,(2,())))))
_ 
_ but it would require a daunting N^2 = 3969 case macros,
_ where N counts uppercase, lowercase and numeric characters
_ plus the empty character. Fortunately there is a trick 
_ that reduces the number of case macros to N = 63.
_
_ For every character <c> define a case macro `eqc_<c>' to
_ yield `F'. Here's a small sample:
_
define(eqc_A,`F')_
define(eqc_B,`F')_
define(eqc_C,`F')_
define(eqc_D,`F')_
define(eqc_,`F')_
_
_ Then `eqc(<a>,<b>)' redefines `eqc_<a>' to yield `T' and
_ calls `eqc_<b>'. The result is `T' only if <a> and <b> are
_ the same. Finally `eqc' restores the definition of `eqc_<a>'.
_ The only subtlety in the definition of `eqc' is the empty
_ quotes that keep the result of `eqc_$2' from being tacked
_ onto `define':
_
define(eqc,`define(`eqc_$1',`T')eqc_$2`'define(`eqc_$1',`F')')_
_
_ In terms of `eqc' string-comparison becomes
_
define(eqs,`if(eqc(head($1),`'),`T',`if(eqc(head($1),head($2)),'_
``eqs(tail($1),tail($2))',`F')')')_
_
_ One might hope to automate the writing of case definitions
_ for `eqc' by iterating over a list like
_
_    (A,(B,(C,(D,())))
_
_ The hope is apparently vain: to identify the end of the list
_ one needs a case switch over the set of elements that may
_ appear in the list--infinite regress. I know of no workaround
_ much less laborious than writing out all the cases directly.
_
_ Universality
_
_ It's not hard to envision simulating a simple computer, except
_ for interactive input-out--a deficiency that is shared with
_ Turing machines. Thus, aside from resource limitations, bare
_ m4 is Turing complete.
_
_ The program counter is maintained by `incr', and converted
_ to string form by `base2'.
_
_ The <n>th word of memory is a binary number held in a macro
_ named W<n>, where <n> is expressed in string form.
_.
_ Operation codes are a limited set of binary numbers <op>, and
_ may be switched on by converting them to string form I<op>.
_
_ A branch operation redefines the location counter.
_
_ An assignment redefines the designated word.
_
_ Other operations are coded in styles illustrated above.
_
_ Words need not be limited in size. Numbers may be kept
_ in sign-magnitude form.
_
_ Instructions may be of variable length--one word of opcode,
_ and following words of addresses or immediate operands.
_
_ A control macro fetches an opcode according to the location
_ counter.  If the opcode is a halt instruction, the control
_ terminates. Otherwise it calls the designated operation,
_ updates the instruction counter according to the opcode,
_ and calls the control recursively.
_
_ Advice for m4
_
_ Recursion of the control macro is unlimited and unavoidable.
_ Ufortunately few, if any, m4 implementations implement tail
_ calls so as not to grow the program stack. Doing so would
_ help this and other deeply recursive applications.
_

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* Re: [TUHS] bare m4 (was BTL summmer employees)
  2020-08-22  3:29 [TUHS] bare m4 (was BTL summmer employees) Doug McIlroy
@ 2020-08-22 20:19 ` Dave Horsfall
  2020-08-22 21:02 ` Bakul Shah
  2020-08-23 12:59 ` arnold
  2 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Dave Horsfall @ 2020-08-22 20:19 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society

On Fri, 21 Aug 2020, Doug McIlroy wrote:

>>> Can you give some examples of what this looked like?
>>
>
> See attached for an answer to Arnold's question

Boy am I gonna have to bone up on M4...  Impressive!

-- Dave

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* Re: [TUHS] bare m4 (was BTL summmer employees)
  2020-08-22  3:29 [TUHS] bare m4 (was BTL summmer employees) Doug McIlroy
  2020-08-22 20:19 ` Dave Horsfall
@ 2020-08-22 21:02 ` Bakul Shah
  2020-08-23 12:59 ` arnold
  2 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Bakul Shah @ 2020-08-22 21:02 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society

On Aug 21, 2020, at 8:29 PM, Doug McIlroy <doug@cs.dartmouth.edu> wrote:
> 
> 
>>>> Even high-school employees could make lasting contributions.  I am
>>>> indebted to Steve for a technique he conceived during his first summer
>>>> assignment: using macro definitions as if they were units of associative
>>>> memory. This view of macros stimulated previously undreamed-of uses.
>> 
>>> Can you give some examples of what this looked like?
>> 
> 
> See attached for an answer to Arnold's question

Reminds me of Church numerals & encoding.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_encoding

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* Re: [TUHS] bare m4 (was BTL summmer employees)
  2020-08-22  3:29 [TUHS] bare m4 (was BTL summmer employees) Doug McIlroy
  2020-08-22 20:19 ` Dave Horsfall
  2020-08-22 21:02 ` Bakul Shah
@ 2020-08-23 12:59 ` arnold
  2 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: arnold @ 2020-08-23 12:59 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: tuhs, doug

Doug McIlroy <doug@cs.dartmouth.edu> wrote:

>
> > >> Even high-school employees could make lasting contributions.  I am
> > >> indebted to Steve for a technique he conceived during his first summer
> > >> assignment: using macro definitions as if they were units of associative
> > >> memory. This view of macros stimulated previously undreamed-of uses.
> >
> > > Can you give some examples of what this looked like?
> >
>
> See attached for an answer to Arnold's question
>
> Doug

Thanks!!!  I will definitely review this.

Do you object to my putting it on GitHub to preserve for Posterity?

Thanks again,

Arnold

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* Re: [TUHS] bare m4 (was BTL summmer employees)
  2020-08-28 15:52 Doug McIlroy
@ 2020-08-28 16:41 ` Thomas Paulsen
  0 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Thomas Paulsen @ 2020-08-28 16:41 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: Doug McIlroy; +Cc: tuhs

thanks a lot, Doug!

>A modestly corrected and improved version of my bare-m4
>program, which quickly builds from nothing to arithmetic on
>binary numbers using no builtins other than `define'. is
>posted at www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~doug/barem4.txt. (.txt
>because browsers balk at .m4)






^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* Re: [TUHS] bare m4 (was BTL summmer employees)
@ 2020-08-28 15:52 Doug McIlroy
  2020-08-28 16:41 ` Thomas Paulsen
  0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: Doug McIlroy @ 2020-08-28 15:52 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: tuhs

A modestly corrected and improved version of my bare-m4
program, which quickly builds from nothing to arithmetic on
binary numbers using no builtins other than `define'. is
posted at www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~doug/barem4.txt. (.txt
because browsers balk at .m4)

Doug

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

end of thread, other threads:[~2020-08-28 16:42 UTC | newest]

Thread overview: 6+ messages (download: mbox.gz / follow: Atom feed)
-- links below jump to the message on this page --
2020-08-22  3:29 [TUHS] bare m4 (was BTL summmer employees) Doug McIlroy
2020-08-22 20:19 ` Dave Horsfall
2020-08-22 21:02 ` Bakul Shah
2020-08-23 12:59 ` arnold
2020-08-28 15:52 Doug McIlroy
2020-08-28 16:41 ` Thomas Paulsen

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