URL: <https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?68235>
Summary: `length` request not specified in a manner matching
reasonable expectation
Group: GNU roff
Submitter: None
Submitted: Mon 13 Apr 2026 04:53:47 PM UTC
Category: Core
Severity: 3 - Normal
Item Group: Warning/Suspicious behaviour
Status: None
Privacy: Public
Assigned to: None
Open/Closed: Open
Discussion Lock: Unlocked
Planned Release: None
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Follow-up Comments:
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Date: Mon 13 Apr 2026 04:53:47 PM UTC By: Anonymous
Branden wrote in bug #67939:
"The system is fundamentally a recursive macro expander that doesn't generally
read ahead in its input, and the `length` request doesn't read its argument in
copy mode, so when you ask it to measure something, it measures the result of
recursive interpolation (macro expansion) on its argument. What people likely
expect, in some cases, is for it to look up a string/macro/diversion by name,
extract some kind of 'length' datum from it, and report it.
"That's a reasonable enough expectation, and we could actually do that, but
the `length` request is not specified in a manner supporting it.
"Instead, you're _expected_ to supply only 'literal text' as the argument to
the `length` request, or a string interpolation `\*[like-this]`, _and_ you are
expected _not_ to pun a macro or diversion name by using string interpolation
on it."
The recently opened bug #68234 reports a similar (related?) issue with the .pm
request.
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