Let's Build a Hygienic Macro Expander!

Explore the intricacies of hygienic macro expansion in this 56-minute seminar talk by Matthew Flatt, a professor at the University of Utah and one of the developers of the Racket programming language. Delve into the foundations of Racket's extensible programming capabilities, focusing on how hygienic macros enable robust pattern matching and template substitution. Gain insights into the extra dimension of binding that sets hygienic expansion apart from lexical scope, and follow along as Flatt demystifies the process by explaining hygienic expansion through scope sets. Watch as he walks through the implementation of a macro expander, providing a clear understanding of this crucial component in language extension and creation. Learn how Racket's approach paves the way from simple language extensions to the development of entirely new programming languages.