{
  "id": 4571257,
  "title": "Repeating Ourselves Less with M4",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/repeating-ourselves-less-with-m4",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-31T04:10:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Lobsters",
    "slug": "lobsters",
    "url": "https://nemin.hu/httpd-macros/index.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "This guide demonstrates how to condense the httpd.conf file using macros. In a previous post, the author mentioned having to repeat identical code blocks for blocking malicious routes. Fortunately, OpenBSD comes with a utility called m4 that can greatly reduce repetitive parts. There are two types of macros: those built into programming languages and those that manipulate text. m4 falls into the second category, being a standalone program that can be used with any text manipulation. It has built-in functions and allows for substitution of values, but it's not a language parser. The guide explains how to use m4 to create macros for URL blocking and server configurations, making the httpd.conf file shorter and easier to modify.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}