What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Macro vs Macrolanguage - What's the difference?

macro | macrolanguage |

As nouns the difference between macro and macrolanguage

is that macro is a comparatively human-friendly abbreviation of complicated input to a computer program while macrolanguage is a system for defining and processing macros.

As an adjective macro

is very large in scope or scale.

macro

English

Etymology 1

1933, from .

Adjective

(-)
  • Very large in scope or scale.

    • Etymology 2

    1959, shortened form of macroinstruction.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (programming, computing) A comparatively human-friendly abbreviation of complicated input to a computer program.
    • The pre-processor expands any embedded macro s into source code before it is compiled.
    Usage notes
    * Often used attributively; a macro language'' is the syntax for defining new macros; while ''macro expansion'' refers to the task of replacing the human-friendly version with a machine-readable version; a ''macro virus'' is a computer virus written in a ''macro language''. Individual macros are sometimes referred to as ''macro function s, particularly when they accept parameters. * The distinction between a macro language'' and a ''programming language'' is imprecise. Often a ''macro language'' is designed to allow one to customize one particular program, whereas a ''programming language is designed for writing entirely new programs. * Although a shortcut'' is particularly easy to use, widely supported, and designed for normal users, ''macro system s are normally designed for power users.
    See also
    *

    See also

    * macro expansion * template

    Etymology 3

    1971, elliptical form of macro lens, from  + lens. Compare macrophotography.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (photography) macro lens

    • Anagrams

    * * ----

    macrolanguage

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (macro) + (language).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (computing) A system for defining and processing macros.
  • * 2006 , G. Brent Hall and Michael G. Leahy, "Internet-Based Spacial Decision Support Using Open Source Tools", Chapter XIII of Shivanand Balram and Suzana Dragi?evi?, Collaborative Geographic Information Systems , Idea Group Inc., ISBN 9781591408468, page 238:
    • Much of the emphasis in spatial decision-support research continues to focus on developing tools, typically using macrolanguage scripting exclusively or scripting linked to compilable programming and commercial geographic information system software, such as workstation Arc/Info and desktop ArcGIS.
    Usage notes
    * This is more commonly written as two words: (term).

    Etymology 2

    From .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (linguistics) A language consisting of widely varying dialects, or a group of very closely related languages.
  • * 1993 , in La Trobe working papers in linguistics , volumes 6-8, page 161:
    • A linguist working with the criterion of mutual intelligibility would recognize six languages in central and western Victoria, most of them covering large areas. These widespread languages would not have been recognized as languages by the speakers themselves and they have no native name. The largest macrolanguage covers most of western Victoria north of Ballarat and Hamilton.
  • * 1996 , Bertil Tikkanen, "Languages of interethnic communication on the Indian Subcontinent (excluding Nepal)", in Stephen Adolphe Wurm et al. (editors), Atlas of Languages of Intercultural Communication in the Pacific, Asia, and the Americas , Volume II.1, Walter de Gruyter, ISBN 978-3-11-013417-9, page 787:
    • The Indo-Aryan languages or macrolanguages' of the plains merge into each other, being on the local level made up of enormous dialect continua (e.g. PANJABI-HINDI-BIHARI-RAJASTHANI-PAHARI). ¶ These fluid ‘' macrolanguages ’ (indicated by capital letters, e.g. HINDI) may have “dialects” which are mutually unintelligible and hard to classify.
  • * 2007 , Jose A. Fadul (general editor), Encyclopedia iana: Student Edition , Lulu.com, ISBN 978-1-4303-1142-3, page 6:
    • Modern Arabic is classified as a macrolanguage with 27 sub-languages spoken throughout the Arab world.

    See also

    *