> In most other language you can't even write syntactical extensions. C? C++? Rust? Erlang? Scala? Julia? R? > Such things are, generally, horrendous for read

> In most other language you can't even write syntactical extensions. C? C++? Rust? Erlang? Scala? Julia? R? > Such things are, generally, horrendous for readability. Like I said you can wield them effectively. But the average developer won't be able to. Macros actually are widely used to improve readability. In Lisp that's one of its main purposes. It leads to more compact, declarative, domain specific code. Large programs usually benefit the most. Programs can be much short and more readable. Take for example in Common Lisp the Common Lisp Object System. It has three layers: an object-layer at the bottom, then a functional layer and on the top is the macro layer. The macro layer is what the typical developer uses, which is compact and which shields the developer from the details of the lower layers. The Common Lisp Object System blends seamlessly into the rest of the language and the usual basics can be easily learned.