Talk:Macro instruction

Merge with Macro (computer science)?

Should this article be merged with Macro (computer science)? Should there be separate articles for Macro instruction and Macro definition? Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz (talk) 16:58, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Yes, the two articles are on the very same subject! (The first sentence of Macro (computer science) begins "A macro (short for "macroinstruction...".) And, IMHO, neither article adequately defines the basic concept nor explains its origin (Macros almost certainly originated with assembly language macros). As to whether there need to be articles on both Macro instruction and Macro definition, I think not, but the distinction should be covered somewhere, and neither article does so adequately. (I'll make a note to revisit this when I have more time, but others feel free to go before me.) Frappyjohn (talk) 07:05, 26 October 2013 (UTC)

  Y Merger complete. Klbrain (talk) 20:59, 15 August 2018 (UTC)

NOW HAS BECOME the "wrong" place for Merger discussion

please see "Orphaned Merger discussion" below Pi314m (talk) 23:49, 31 July 2018 (UTC)

Generality

A macro instruction doesn't always emit executable code. Sometimes it sets variables, emits messages and performs general housekeeping for other macro instructions. This article could use some examples of such usages, which are common in the IBM world. Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz Username:Chatul (talk) 10:29, 23 June 2010 (UTC)

They are not necessarily used for system calls. I/O macros were common on IBM mainframes systems. In MACRO-10 macros were not expanded until used. Macro's used within a macro were expanded when the outer macro is called (not when it is defined!). The inner macros need not be defined before that outer containing macro and could be redefined between calls of the outer macro to generate corosponding tables. They could redefine their self. MACRO-10 is the only assembler I have used that processes macros in this way. In building the TOPS-10 operatoring system macros were used in building corosponding tables. Steamerandy (talk) 02:34, 10 June 2016 (UTC)

Microcode?

What connection is there between Macro instructions and microcode? Unless someone can come up with a citation to justify it, I plan to revert the See also template. Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz Username:Chatul (talk) 17:26, 3 November 2014 (UTC)

Orphaned Merger discussion

As of this writing, the two hatnotes atop "Macro (Computer science)" that talk of merger point to 2 difference places,

"Talk:Macro (computer science)" and "Talk:Macro (computer science)#Merger proposal"

while the hatnote atop "Macro instruction" points to a third place: "Talk:Macro_instruction".

Before comments are lost/orphaned, the multiple COMMENT places need to be . . . mErGeD (this comment is being placed TWO places; one copy will suffice, once we're "on the same (TALK) page."
Note: there is a "This article may be too technical for most readers to understand" atop the TALK page of "Macro (Computer science).

P.S. There already is a semi-lost comment named "Merge with Macro (computer science)?[" atop "Talk:Macro_instruction" Pi314m (talk) 23:49, 31 July 2018 (UTC)