macrovariable

A macrovariable is a symbolic placeholder used by a macro processor to hold data that will be substituted into a macro’s output when the macro is expanded. It is not a variable in the target program itself, but a feature of the macro language that carries text or sometimes numeric content to be injected during code generation or text templating.

Macrovariables are typically created or bound when a macro is invoked. They may be assigned within the macro body or provided as arguments to the macro. The scope of a macrovariable is defined by the macro system: some environments give the variable local scope to the current expansion, while others treat bindings as global or persistent across calls.

Within a macro, references to a macrovariable are resolved by the processor, which replaces the placeholder with the current value during expansion. In many systems the substitution is textual, so the resulting output can be code, configuration text, or any other content that will subsequently be processed or executed by the target language or tool.

Macrovariables appear in various macro-enabled environments with differing syntax and rules. Common contexts include macro languages for code generation, template engines, and preprocessing systems. Differences can include how values are assigned, how variables are scoped, and how nesting or recursion is handled during multiple expansions.

Key considerations when using macrovariables include avoiding name collisions, understanding scope and lifetime, and ensuring that values are properly escaped or quoted when inserted into the generated output.