Where I got stuck with the bottom-up version: nested macro calls don't work. ... Perhaps I need to interleave eval and translate steps more finely (which would require building eval and the more tranditional big-bang interprete-everything structure). Perhaps I end up with a very non-lisp language where I have to 'quote' nested macros.
Hmm, I thought I had a simpler fix for you, but it seems I'm stuck too. ^_^; If it comes to me, I'll be sure to post it.
---
It's certainly about personal preference. I like being able to run ls and see the structure of the program.
Interesting, I tend to consider a flat, fifty-file list as not having a lot of structure to it. In fact, I think the term "structured programming" has something to do with not having flat lists of instructions with line numbers. :-p
Really, though, I can sort of get used to them. It's a bit like being introduced to a language by reading a book; you get a little bit of the language in each page or chapter, and if you get lost, you know which direction to turn to get back to solid footing.
A new feature may modify dozens of functions but keep all the related changes spatially clustered together. Not needing to touch the loader fits into that 'minimize hunks' aesthetic.
