From: Michael Shigorin <mike@...>
Date: 2012-05-15T16:42:16+09:00
Subject: Re: I'm looking for a Metaprogramming Project

On Sat, May 12, 2012 at 05:02:38AM +0900, Phil Stone wrote:
> I now have to demonstrate my experience in programming
[...]
> What should I make to show off metaprogramming?

Don't show off, it won't pay off but well may get you in trouble.

See e.g. this nice story of looking at the various "demos":
http://morethancoding.com/2012/04/30/5-signs-that-you-should-hire-a-programmer-on-the-spot

It's like higher math: either you grok it or you can pretend to
but it will be discovered by the very first competent examiner.

Metaprogramming is like equation transforms to make them brief
and clear: if you do have a habit to refactor and de-duplicate
your code, you're likely to eventually just come to it naturally;
otherwise it won't stick.

When one quickly prototypes two similar things with copypaste
and then looks at the tested code to seperate the common from
the different (e.g. to form a function which would do both
things depending on its arguments), one's doing metaprogramming
already.  When one writes a program which generates another
program (like automake), it's that too.

It's not about being "cool" at all.

But hey, luck :)

-- 
 ---- WBR, Michael Shigorin <mike@altlinux.ru>
  ------ Linux.Kiev http://www.linux.kiev.ua/