The code being compiled, when run, could do anything. As for build time, nearly all the build systems that people use in languages like C, C++, Java, Node, etc

The code being compiled, when run, could do anything. As for build time, nearly all the build systems that people use in languages like C, C++, Java, Node, etc can do nearly anything. Saying the compiler can't run user code and make system calls while compiling is is like plugging a whole the size of a bus with your pinky. You prevented absolutely nothing. You just make devs jump through hoops (external tools in their build) to do the things they need to do and in doing so force them to add dependencies which expand their surface area of attacks. Maybe a command-line switch to say which files can execute code at compile time but still, having worked on a lisp system that ran code and made system calls at compile time it was a huge time saver. Example: constexpr max_buffer_size = getSizeOfLargestFile("assets/*.gltf"); enum Modes = enumerateSupportedModes("modes/*.el");