I'm talking about X-macros. There's a wide range of preprocessor shenanigans, from "everybody needs to know this" to "oh my god why." Each construct needs to be evaluated on its merits. IMO X-macros are closer to the simpler side of that spectrum. Consider writing things out by hand if you just have a few, but if you have a lot of things repeating like this, they're a fine tool to use. Boost PP is a whole different level of ridiculousness and I don't see ever using that sort of thing for anything serious.