1788	 Toward a General Processor for Programming Languages	 Many efforts have been made to develop a better way of implementing a higher level programming language than by the construction of a whole new compiler but so far none has proved generally satisfactory. In this paper it is contended that a programming language is best described functionally as a body of macro instructions and that the macro call constitutes a canonical form in terms of which a programming notation may be described. A supporting discussion of the logical and his torical role of the macro instruction is presented. Also discussed are the conflict between machine independence and object program efficiency and the question of where the greatest difficulties lie in compiler construction. programming language translator programming language processor general translator general processor macro instruction processor meta processor meta language translator meta language processor compiler-compiler writing system translator writing system
