Mac - A macro processing language

Mac is the general purpose macro processing language for OfflineOS. It is primarily designed to help integrate X64asm, OTIL, MIA and Build but also for general meta-programming.

Concepts

Text-orientation and meta-programming

Mac is entirely dedicated to processing text with a focus on generating/modifying source code before compilation.

Inter-process communication

Variables and Macros can be passed via command line arguments.

Datatypes

• String
• Regular Expression
• Macro
• Hash / List (numeric indices are syntactic sugar)

Syntax

Due to implementation limits of the current Bootstrap version

Embedded contexts

%{ directions }%

Directions is read as instructions to the macro processor rather than outputted.

Requiring files

%{include " path-to-file "}%

Copies the content of another file into the current file.

WARNING: Using this directive to copy in source code rather than macro directives is possible but highly discouraged as it violates the languages' module system.

Simple macros

A simple substitution without arguments

%{def M " String "}%

Standard macros

%{def M ( Arg1 , Arg2 )}%

Code

%{end}%

Sets up a Macro that uses Arg1 and Arg2. Remember that the actual text of Arg1 and Arg2 are passed not their values.

Advanced macros

It is possible to specify macros for more languages with more exotic syntaxes by replacing the macro's name with a format string that includes the arguments names.

E.g.

%{def "Arg1 + Arg2" (Arg1, Arg2)}%

add(Arg1, Arg2)

%{end}%

Nested macros

The quote keyword is used for embedding further directives into a macro. This way you can write macros that generate more macros.

%{quote}%

directives

%{end}%

Variables

%{set( name " textual value ")}%

Sets a text value that can be used in a macro.

Arrays

Conditionals

if

%{if condition }%

code

%{end}%

if / else

%{if condition }%

code

%{else}%

code

%{end}%

equal

Test if two strings are equal in a conditional.

equal( string1 , string2 )

match

Test if a string fits a regular expression in a conditional.

match( string , regex )

Loops

for

Applies a template to each member of a loop

%{for iterator in list }%

Code

%{end}%

Error

Emits an error message and terminates with a given status number

%{error status " error string " }%

Regular Expressions

PCRE2. Do not put in quotes, just slashes.

Macros for specific languages

X64asm Macros

• FuncDef( name , return-type , arguments ) - Used to prepare a name used with the Func macro. Note that name can be in module . function format.
• Func( name ) - Outputs a function name that is compatible with OTIL.