How Would You Generate C Code Using Common Lisp Macros? (github.com)

Long-time Slashdot reader kruhft brings news about a new S-Expression based language transpiler that has the feel of C. This structure allows for the creation of code generation macros using the full power of the host Common Lisp environment, a language designed for operating on S-Expressions, also known as Lists. It is unknown exactly what power might come about from this combination of low level processing with high level code generation.
This has prompted some discussion online about other attempts to convert Lisp to C -- raising several more questions. How (and why) would you convert your Lisp code into C, and what would then be the best uses for this capability?

Comments

Excellent

[phantomfive]

All the beauty of C syntax with all the conciseness of Lisp:

(int main ((int argc) (char (** argv)))
     (sswitch ([] argv 1)
          (case ("a" "c")
        (printf "The value is \"a\" or \"c\"\n"))
          (case "d"
        (goto e-label))
          (case "b"
        (printf "The value is \"b\"\n"))
          (case "e"
        (: e-label)
        (printf "The value is \"d\" or \"e\"\n"))
          (default
          (printf "The value is neither \"a\", \"b\", \"c\", \"d\", or \"e\"\n")))
     (return 0))

Re:Excellent

[dgatwood]

I'm suddenly reminded of the Russian spy who tried to steal the source code for the American missile defense system. When he got home, he discovered that he had nothing but three pages filled with close parentheses. "The bad news," the spy said, "is that we only got the last three pages, and they contain no useful code. The good news is that we now know what language it was written in."

Re:Butterflies

[K. S. Kyosuke]

To honor Carrie Fisher, you should have posted this.

Re: Butterflies

[bsDaemon]

No, that would be this one:
https://xkcd.com/224/