← Sunday, September 27, 2026Languages & toolsEssay

Customizable programming languages could replace conventions and complex build systems

jimmyhmiller.com 10 min read Editor score 6/10

The essay argues that teams could adapt language semantics to their needs instead of encoding them through conventions and build-system complexity. It prompts useful questions about flexibility and consistency in language design.

What

The piece argues that codebases should be able to customize their programming languages instead of treating languages as fixed artifacts.

How

Fixed languages can lead teams to build complex conventions and build systems to get the semantics they want; macros can also make code harder to understand.

Why it matters

For engineers, language customization could replace some workarounds, but unfamiliar semantics can make debugging and maintenance harder for later readers.

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