Macro

9 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  macro \macro\ a.
     very large in scale or scope or capability; as,
     macroeconomics.
     [WordNet 1.5]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Macro- \Mac"ro-\pref. [Gr. makro`s, adj.]
     A combining form signifying long, large, great; as
     macrodiagonal, macrospore, macromolecule, macrocosm.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  macro \macro\ n. [shortened form of macroinstruction]
     1. a single computer instruction which symbolizes, and is
        converted at the time of program execution or by a
        compiler into, a series of instructions in the same
        computer language.
        [WordNet 1.5]
  
     2. A keystroke (or combination of keystrokes) which
        symbolizes and is replaced by a series of keystrokes; -- a
        convenient feature of some advanced programs, such as word
        processors or database programs, which allows a user to
        rapidly execute any series of operations which may be
        performed multiple times. Such macros may typically be
        defined by the program user, without rewriting or
        recompiling the program.
        [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  macro
       adj : very large in scale or scope or capability; "`macro' in the
             word `macroscopic' is a combining form"
       n : a single computer instruction that results in a series of
           instructions in machine language [syn: {macro instruction}]

From Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001) [jargon]:

  macro- pref. Large. Opposite of {micro-}. In the mainstream and among
     other technical cultures (for example, medical people) this competes
     with the prefix {mega-}, but hackers tend to restrict the latter to
     quantification.
  
  

From Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001) [jargon]:

  macro /mak'roh/ n. [techspeak] A name (possibly followed by a formal
     {arg} 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. This definition can be found in any technical
     dictionary; what those won't tell you is how the hackish connotations of
     the term have changed over time.
  
     The term `macro' originated in early 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 {HLL}s, only to fall from favor as improving
     compiler technology marginalized assembler programming (see {languages
     of choice}). Nowadays the term is most often used in connection with the
     C preprocessor, LISP, or one of several special-purpose languages built
     around a macro-expansion facility (such as TeX or Unix's [nt]roff
     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 PC TSR or Macintosh INIT/CDEV
     keyboard enhancers).
  
  

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  MACRO
       
          1. Assembly language for {VAX/VMS}.
       
          2. {PL/I}-like language with extensions for string processing.
          "MACRO: A Programming Language", S.R. Greenwood, SIGPLAN
          Notices 14(9):80-91 (Sep 1979).
       
          [{Jargon File}]
       
       

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  macro-
       
          Prefix large.  Opposite of {micro-}.  In the mainstream and
          among other technical cultures (for example, medical people)
          this competes with the prefix {mega-}, but hackers tend to
          restrict the latter to quantification.
       
          [{Jargon File}]
       
       

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  macro
       
          A name (possibly followed by a {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 {assembler}s, 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 {HLL}s, only to fall from favour as improving
          {compiler} technology marginalised {assembly language}
          programming (see {languages of choice}).  Nowadays the term is
          most often used in connection with the {C preprocessor},
          {Lisp}, or one of several special-purpose languages built
          around a macro-expansion facility (such as {TeX} or {Unix}'s
          {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 {PC} {TSR}s or {Macintosh} INIT/CDEV keyboard
          enhancers).
       
          (1994-12-06)