This reminds me of experiments I did in using Lua to generate SVG. With a little work, I thought it could make a useful replacement format for vector graphics (if anyone would adopt it; not too likely). It was nice to able to use control structures, especially loops and random numbers, to generate images. I definitely think XML is not the best format. Maybe something based on Haskell or some other functional language could work?
If you found that interesting, check out Pov-Ray. It does the same thing with 3D. Doesn't output any kind of vector format (that I know of), but the scenes are all described in a Turing-Complete language like that.
I think they did that because it's like a bind, i.e. circle 5 <|> rect 8 8 puts a <circle> out first then a <rect> so it seems kind of like the IO monad in that it's ordered
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[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 34.4 ms ] threadThis page lists a ton of examples of things possible with Metapost: http://tex.loria.fr/prod-graph/zoonekynd/metapost/metapost.h....
I learn by that in school, so good you posted I almost forget my homework :)
[1] http://pnyf.inf.elte.hu/fp/Index.xml