Re: master c86995d07e9: Enable code block evaluation when generating .org manuals

[Stefan Kangas]

Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net> writes:

> It is certainly possible. We would need to run pre-processing and then
> generate the final manuals from yet another intermediate pre-processed
> .org file. However, I am not sure why would we need to bother with such
> extra work. What would be the benefit?

I don't consider this urgent or a blocker for merging the latest Org
mode release, but the benefit would be to avoid running code from a
documentation file on every build.

You can, of course, slip in malicious changes anywhere, but it's
arguably easier in a documentation file since some of us might relax and
think that it's safer since it's "just documentation".

Consider, for example, sweeping changes like fixing typos, or
reformatting.  Now we need to look at such things more closely also when
it only concerns documentation fixes.

To be clear, all of us are obviously doing the best job we can, and some
of us are doing a very fine job indeed, but bugs still can and do slip
under our radar.  There's nothing unique about malicious code that means
that it's somehow impossible for us to miss it.

IOW, I don't think I see why we shouldn't try to make our job easier if
we can.  Hence my question how hard it would be to replicate what we
already do for loaddefs files.  If it's not practical, then so be it.