Show HN: es6_maps, new Elixir syntax feature via runtime compiler hacking

Hi HN! I thought you might enjoy this even if you don't know much about Elixir.

`es6_maps` is a small library that introduces a "shorthand" map creation syntax, similar to shorthand object construction in JavaScript/TypeScript. For those unfamiliar with Elixir, the most interesting aspect might be how it achieves this. `es6_maps` takes advantage of BEAM (Erlang's VM) hot-reload capabilities to amend the Elixir compiler bytecode at runtime, adding functions that expand the shorthand syntax for further compilation. I think it's a nice showcase of the power you can wield (with care) when writing in BEAM languages.

Let me know what you think!

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40333500

Points: 15

# Comments: 9

https://github.com/kzemek/es6_maps