makeinfo function execute feature

[joseph]

Eli,

Thank you for your endorsement of support.  The voices of concern about 
security are not
entirely unfounded.  It ought to be possible to allow makeinfo to generate info 
nodes that
have this feature without making a big publicity splash about it.  It is 
definitely the
only way to use the info browser to control external hardware and processes.  
The info
browser is a nice documentation tool.  Using the execute feature allows the 
info browser
to go beyond giving help information to provide operator feedback on process 
control
applications.  I have used it for this and am very pleased with how it worked.

Joseph

    > Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2004 10:25:11 -0500
    > From: address@hidden (Karl Berry)
    > 
    > Although we could document it and add a Texinfo command to generate it,
    > I'm worried about security.  It should at least be disabled by default,
    > I would think.
    
    From: "Eli Zaretskii" <address@hidden> Add To Address Book
    
    It _is_ disabled by default; see the variable
    Info-enable-active-nodes.  And the variable itself is marked risky.
    
    I think it would be nice if we supported this feature.
    
    
    From: "Robert J. Chassell" <address@hidden> 
    
    Doubtless it is OK to leave the traces of the past in the code, but it
    should not be publicized or made easy to use and abuse.
Joseph Patterson
VLSI Design Tools
P.O. Box 378
W. Boxford, MA 01885-0378
(978)352-7976
address@hidden