Editing High Level Assembly (section)

=== Compile-Time Language ===

The HLA macro system is a subset of the larger HLA ''Compile-Time Language'' (CTL). The HLA CTL is an interpreted language available within an HLA program source file; hence the name ''compile-time language''.

The HLA CTL includes control statements such as #IF, #WHILE, #FOR, #PRINT, and an [[Assignment (computer science)|assignment statement]]. One can also create compile-time variables and constants, including structured data types like records and unions. The HLA CTL also provides hundreds of built-in functions, including a rich set of string and pattern-matching functions. The HLA CTL allows programmers to create CTL ''programs'' that scan and parse strings, enabling the creation of ''embedded [[domain-specific language]]s'' (EDSLs, also termed ''[[mini-language]]s''). The <code>stdout.put</code> macro mentioned earlier is an example of such an EDSL. The put macro (in the stdout namespace, hence ''stdout''.put) parses its macro parameter list and emits the code that will print its operands.