That's why I wrote a "pinch" in the OC. m4 is arguably better than cat as a barebones template engine. The moment you start doing anything beyond simple include

That's why I wrote a "pinch" in the OC. m4 is arguably better than cat as a barebones template engine. The moment you start doing anything beyond simple includes and variable extrapolations, it is time to switch something more modern and robust. I guess autoconf/sendmail still use m4 because there wasn't anything better at the time that doesn't come with a kitchensink attached.