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    $\begingroup$ There is no question that by using a special syntax you can gain performance, I realized that from the start. The complexities of my solution are due to my attempt to keep the syntax as close to the original as possible. Performance is a valid concern, but not the one raised in the question, so I did not consider it a primary concern as long as the slowdown is not too dramatic (e.g. full order of magnitude or more). Anyway, nice code, and +1. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 23, 2012 at 12:08
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    $\begingroup$ As to performance, I became much more pragmatic about it recently, as I see more and more that the requirement to always stay within Mathematica is artificial. My current thinking is that Mathematica has several layers where it shines, such as 1. High-level (possibly rule-based) - very easy to put new ideas to code 2. Number crunching and other tasks where one can use Compile 3. Data manipulation, where one can use vectorized operations to make it reasonably fast (of course, I only talk about core proramming). But it also has gaps, in particular in the realm of mutable efficient ... $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 23, 2012 at 12:26
  • $\begingroup$ ... data structures and efficient general programming. These gaps can often be alleviated by using other languages (e.g. Java, but not only). I can foresee the proliferation of tools similar to my Java reloader, connecting Mathematica to other languages, so I value M mostly as a very interactive medium and development laboratory, a tool to create prototypes. Once I see that something is slow, I will localize the problem and use Java or C or some other language. We spend gigantic efforts on optimization while the code can often be written straightforwardly in other langs and save us time. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 23, 2012 at 12:31
  • $\begingroup$ @Leonid those are very valid points. I am biased because I tried to learn C many years ago and it only gave me headaches; then I discovered Mathematica and the joy of doing with one line of code what was taking dozens and I never looked back. Your Java Reloader makes using code copy and paste easy so it's hard to argue against building a Java library, though if I never learn Java I'll end up with "cargo cult programming." I am (largely thanks to you) slowly coming to see the value of using Mathematica as a framework for multiple languages. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 23, 2012 at 17:32
  • $\begingroup$ @Leonid by the way, what is your take on the safety of the second option I present? It seems to me that overloading Part with a specific pattern is unlikely to cause problems. Do you agree? $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 23, 2012 at 17:37