A name (possibly followed by a ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=formal argument">formal argument list) that is equated to a text or symbolic expression to which it is to be expanded (possibly with the substitution of {actual arguments}) by a macro expander. The term "macro" originated in early ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=assembler">assemblers, which encouraged the use of macros as a structuring and information-hiding device. During the early 1970s, macro assemblers became ubiquitous, and sometimes quite as powerful and expensive as ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=HLL">HLLs, only to fall from favour as improving ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=compiler">compiler technology marginalised ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=assembly language">assembly language programming (see ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=languages of choice">languages of choice). Nowadays the term is most often used in connection with the ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=C preprocessor">C preprocessor, ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=Lisp">Lisp, or one of several special-purpose languages built around a macro-expansion facility (such as ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=TeX">TeX or ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=Unix">Unix' s ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=troff">troff suite). Indeed, the meaning has drifted enough that the collective "macros" is now sometimes used for code in any special-purpose application control language (whether or not the language is actually translated by text expansion), and for macro-like entities such as the "keyboard macros" supported in some text editors (and ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=PC">PC ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=TSR">TSRs or ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=Macintosh">Macintosh INIT/CDeV keyboard enhancers). (1994-12-06)

e="border-width:thin; border-color:#333333; border-style:dashed; padding:5px;" align="left">In addition suitable contents:
[ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=31">2 ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=134">= ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=259">actual argument ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=262">ad ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=396">ag ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=433">al ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=544">am ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=592">an ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=683">app ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=700">application ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=740">ar ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=743">arc ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=759">arg ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=760">argument ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=800">as ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=849">assembler ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=853">assembly language ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=894">at ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=996">av ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1026">b ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1181">be ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1269">bi ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1444">bo ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1446">boa ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1447">board ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1606">bs ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1695">by ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1708">C ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1724">ca ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1863">cat ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1913">CD ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1919">CDe ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2001">ch ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2099">ci ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2247">co ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2273">code ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2330">com ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2429">compiler ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2545">con ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2594">connect ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2656">control ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2780">C preprocessor ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2791">cr ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2976">D ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3151">de ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3327">device ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3436">ding ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3752">du ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3834">e ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3865">ec ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3896">ed ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3929">ee ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4148">er ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4150">era ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4171">es ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4199">et ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4317">expression ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4497">fi ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4520">file ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4700">fo ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4727">for ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4744">formal argument ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4828">fr ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5057">ge ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5134">gh ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5141">gi ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5291">gr ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5403">gu ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5430">gy ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5434">h ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5540">hat ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5672">HLL ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5681">hn ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5768">hr ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5931">id ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5956">ie ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6013">il ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6064">in ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6194">int ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6413">io ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6446">iq ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6482">is ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6557">IT ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6558">it ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6789">ke ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6802">key ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6803">keyboard ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6918">la ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6950">language ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6959">languages of choice ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7091">Lex ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7107">li ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7203">Lisp ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7220">list ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7245">LL ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7410">lt ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7441">ly ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7457">M ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7463">ma ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7465">Mac ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7506">macro- ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7613">marginal ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8019">mm ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8032">mo ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8040">mod ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8079">module ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8167">mp ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8384">N ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8386">na ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8460">nc ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8472">ne ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8622">nf ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8627">ng ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8630">ni ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8660">nl ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8672">nn ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8675">no ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8760">ns ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8964">om ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9204">pa ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9390">PC ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9457">pe ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9550">ph ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9651">pl ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9821">port ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9908">pr ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9934">preprocessor ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9995">process ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10001">processor ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10023">program ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10042">programming ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10253">query ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10364">rc ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10385">re ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10754">rl ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10767">ro ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10778">roff ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10887">ru ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10918">S ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11150">se ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11314">sh ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11376">si ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11525">sl ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11651">so ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11790">spec ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11908">SR ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11934">st ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12109">struct ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12133">su ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12162">suit ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12206">support ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12246">sy ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12359">T ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12474">technology ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12567">text ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12569">text editor ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12588">th ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12721">to ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12787">tr ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12866">troff ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12886">TS ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12894">TSR ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12986">ua ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13008">ug ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13030">um ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13146">up ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13175">us ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13229">V ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13310">ve ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13366">vi ] [ ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13891">X ]