The biggest problem with these things is not parsing source code and output something else; you get the real pain when you're going to debug. :)
The biggest problem with these things is not parsing source code and output something else; you get the real pain when you're going to debug. :)
Since Parenscript is one of "these things", I have to disagree. We've been careful to make PS generate readable, debuggable JS code. It's not what you'd write by hand, of course, but it is not a problem to debug. I debug it every day using standard JS tools. (The biggest problem with PS is the impedance mismatch between Javascript's semantics and Lisp's, but that's another story.)
As I'm sure you're aware, sophisticated C++ template code can be nightmarish to debug. Easier debugging is actually one of the goals of the OP, so if what you said were true then his whole project would be a why-bother.