File: autoconf.info,  Node: Programming in M4sugar,  Next: Debugging via autom4te,  Prev: Using autom4te,  Up: Programming in M4

8.3 Programming in M4sugar
==========================

M4 by itself provides only a small, but sufficient, set of all-purpose
macros.  M4sugar introduces additional generic macros.  Its name was
coined by Lars J. Aas: "Readability And Greater Understanding Stands 4
M4sugar".

   M4sugar reserves the macro namespace ‘^_m4_’ for internal use, and
the macro namespace ‘^m4_’ for M4sugar macros.  You should not define
your own macros into these namespaces.

* Menu:

* Redefined M4 Macros::         M4 builtins changed in M4sugar
* Diagnostic Macros::           Diagnostic messages from M4sugar
* Diversion support::           Diversions in M4sugar
* Conditional constructs::      Conditions in M4
* Looping constructs::          Iteration in M4
* Evaluation Macros::           More quotation and evaluation control
* Text processing Macros::      String manipulation in M4
* Number processing Macros::    Arithmetic computation in M4
* Set manipulation Macros::     Set manipulation in M4
* Forbidden Patterns::          Catching unexpanded macros