2.2 What is Metaprogramming? What is Reflection? Why are they so important?
Metaprogramming is the activity of manipulating programs that in turn manipulate programs. It is the most general technique whereby the programming activity can be automated, enhanced, and made to go where no programming has gone before.
Reflection is the ability of systems to know enough about themselves so as to dynamically metaprogram their own behavior, so as to adapt themselves to changing circumstances, so as to relieve programmers and administrators from so many tasks that currently need to be done manually.
These notions are explained in my article, Metaprogramming and Free Availability of Sources, that also explains why a reflective system must be Free Software. You may also consult the Reflection section of the TUNES Review subproject.
Reflection is important because it is the essential feature that allows for dynamic extension of system infrastructure. Without Reflection, you have to recompile a new system and reboot everytime you have to change your infrastructure, you must manually convert data when you extend the infrastructure, you cannot mix and match programs developed using different infrastructures, you cannot communicate and collaborate with people with different background. At the technical level, all these mean interruption of service, unreliability of service, denial of service, and unawareness of progress; but at the psycho-social level, lack of reflection also means that people will have to2