[BUG] Reference chains (C refers to B refers to A) in tangle do not behave as expected [9.5.5 (release_9.5.5 @ /usr/local/share/emacs/28.2/lisp/org/)]

["C. M. Sperberg-McQueen" <cmsmcq@blackmesatech.com>]

Remember to cover the basics, that is, what you expected to happen and
what in fact did happen.  You don't know how to make a good report?  See

     https://orgmode.org/manual/Feedback.html#Feedback

Your bug report will be posted to the Org mailing list.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

My thanks to those who made and maintain org-mode.

Consider the following literate program in org mode:

................ make-abc.org:
#+title: Minimal example
#+date: 20 May 2024

The first letter is A.
#+name: Able
#+begin_src txt
A is for application.
#+end_src

The second letter is B.  It follows A.
#+name: Baker 
#+begin_src txt :noweb tangle
<<Able>>
B is for beta-tester.
#+end_src

The third letter is C.  We'll stop here.
#+name: Charlie
#+begin_src txt :tangle abc.txt :noweb tangle
<<Baker>>
C is for coder.
#+end_src

Bottom line: two-level inclusions work only if the middle layer (here,
/Baker/) has ~:noweb yes~.  Using ~:noweb tangle~ on /Baker/ produces
the same results as using ~:noweb no~.
................ end make-abc.org:

When I run org-babel-tangle (C-c C-v t) to produce abc.txt, what I
expect is a file containing the three lines

  A is for application.
  B is for beta-tester.
  C is for coder.

in that order.  What I get is a file containing:

  <<Able>>
  B is for beta-tester.
  C is for coder.

When I change the noweb header argument on source code block Baker from
:noweb tangle to :noweb yes, I get the expected result when tangling.
Unfortunately, :noweb yes also means that the reference from Baker to
Able is expanded in the HTML export, which is not (here) what I want.

In the org-mode manual [1], the meaning of :noweb tangle is described
as: "Expansion of noweb syntax references in the body of the code block
when tangling. No expansion when evaluating or exporting."  I think that
running org-babel-tangle counts as tangling, so I expect the noweb
syntax references inside of code block Baker to be expanded.

If I've misunderstood the documentation, a clarification would be
welcome.  If there are other work-arounds, I would be glad to hear of
them.

Thanks.

[1] https://orgmode.org/manual/Noweb-Reference-Syntax.html

Emacs  : GNU Emacs 28.2 (build 1, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.24.33, cairo version 1.16.0)
 of 2023-07-17
Package: Org mode version 9.5.5 (release_9.5.5 @ /usr/local/share/emacs/28.2/lisp/org/)

current state:
==============
(setq
 org-link-elisp-confirm-function 'yes-or-no-p
 org-bibtex-headline-format-function #[257 "\300%1\236A\207" [:title] 3 "\n\n(fn ENTRY)"]
 org-log-done 'time
 org-agenda-files '("/home/cmsmcq/2024/tlrr/A/todo-tlrr.org"
                    "/home/cmsmcq/2024/ixml/A/todo-ixml.org"
                    "/home/cmsmcq/2024/mlcd/A/todo-mlcd.org"                    
                    "/home/cmsmcq/2024/A/todo-oop.org")
 org-export-before-parsing-hook '(org-attach-expand-links)
 org-archive-hook '(org-attach-archive-delete-maybe)
 org-odt-format-inlinetask-function 'org-odt-format-inlinetask-default-function
 org-ascii-format-drawer-function #[771 "%1\207" [] 4 "\n\n(fn NAME CONTENTS WIDTH)"]
 org-cycle-hook '(org-cycle-hide-archived-subtrees org-cycle-hide-drawers
                  org-cycle-show-empty-lines
                  org-optimize-window-after-visibility-change)
 org-link-from-user-regexp "\\<cmsmcq@gemma\\>\\|\\<C\\. M\\. Sperberg-McQueen\\>"
 org-mode-hook '((lambda nil
                  (progn (modify-syntax-entry 60 "_" org-mode-syntax-table)
                   (modify-syntax-entry 62 "_" org-mode-syntax-table))
                  )
                 #[0 "\301\211%10\207"
                   [imenu-create-index-function org-imenu-get-tree] 2]
                 #[0 "\300\301\302\303\304$\207"
                   [add-hook change-major-mode-hook org-show-all append local]
                   5]
                 #[0 "\300\301\302\303\304$\207"
                   [add-hook change-major-mode-hook org-babel-show-result-all
                    append local]
                   5]
                 org-babel-result-hide-spec org-babel-hide-all-hashes)
 org-babel-load-languages '((shell . t) (emacs-lisp . t))
 org-latex-format-drawer-function #[514 "\207" [] 3 "\n\n(fn _ CONTENTS)"]
 org-latex-format-headline-function 'org-latex-format-headline-default-function
 org-confirm-shell-link-function 'yes-or-no-p
 org-reveal-start-hook '(org-decrypt-entry)
 org-html-format-drawer-function #[514 "\207" [] 3 "\n\n(fn NAME CONTENTS)"]
 outline-isearch-open-invisible-function 'outline-isearch-open-invisible
 org-odt-format-headline-function 'org-odt-format-headline-default-function
 org-agenda-before-write-hook '(org-agenda-add-entry-text)
 org-babel-tangle-lang-exts '(("D" . "d") ("C++" . "cpp") ("awk" . "awk")
                              ("clojurescript" . "cljs") ("clojure" . "clj")
                              ("fortran" . "F90") ("groovy" . "groovy")
                              ("haskell" . "hs") ("java" . "java")
                              ("julia" . "jl") ("latex" . "tex")
                              ("LilyPond" . "ly") ("lisp" . "lisp")
                              ("lua" . "lua") ("maxima" . "max")
                              ("ocaml" . "ml") ("perl" . "pl")
                              ("processing" . "pde") ("python" . "py")
                              ("ruby" . "rb") ("sed" . "sed")
                              ("emacs-lisp" . "el") ("elisp" . "el"))
 org-src-mode-hook '(org-src-babel-configure-edit-buffer
                     org-src-mode-configure-edit-buffer)
 org-confirm-elisp-link-function 'yes-or-no-p
 org-todo-keywords '((sequence "TODO(t)" "NEXT(n)" "PROG(p)" "INTERRUPT(i)"
                      "DONE(d)")
                     )
 org-speed-command-hook '(org-speed-command-activate
                          org-babel-speed-command-activate)
 org-html-format-inlinetask-function 'org-html-format-inlinetask-default-function
 org-ascii-format-inlinetask-function 'org-ascii-format-inlinetask-default
 org-odt-format-drawer-function #[514 "\207" [] 3 "\n\n(fn NAME CONTENTS)"]
 org-latex-format-inlinetask-function 'org-latex-format-inlinetask-default-function
 org-emphasis-alist '(("*" bold) ("/" italic) ("=" org-verbatim verbatim)
                      ("~" org-code verbatim) ("+" (:strike-through t)))
 org-tab-first-hook '(org-babel-hide-result-toggle-maybe
                      org-babel-header-arg-expand)
 org-link-shell-confirm-function 'yes-or-no-p
 org-babel-pre-tangle-hook '(save-buffer)
 org-agenda-loop-over-headlines-in-active-region nil
 org-occur-hook '(org-first-headline-recenter)
 org-metadown-hook '(org-babel-pop-to-session-maybe)
 org-link-parameters '(("attachment" :follow org-attach-follow :complete
                        org-attach-complete-link)
                       ("id" :follow org-id-open)
                       ("eww" :follow org-eww-open :store org-eww-store-link)
                       ("rmail" :follow org-rmail-open :store
                        org-rmail-store-link)
                       ("mhe" :follow org-mhe-open :store org-mhe-store-link)
                       ("irc" :follow org-irc-visit :store org-irc-store-link
                        :export org-irc-export)
                       ("info" :follow org-info-open :export org-info-export
                        :store org-info-store-link)
                       ("gnus" :follow org-gnus-open :store org-gnus-store-link)
                       ("docview" :follow org-docview-open :export
                        org-docview-export :store org-docview-store-link)
                       ("bibtex" :follow org-bibtex-open :store
                        org-bibtex-store-link)
                       ("bbdb" :follow org-bbdb-open :export org-bbdb-export
                        :complete org-bbdb-complete-link :store
                        org-bbdb-store-link)
                       ("w3m" :store org-w3m-store-link)
                       ("doi" :follow org-link-doi-open :export
                        org-link-doi-export)
                       ("mu4e" :follow mu4e-org-open :store mu4e-org-store-link)
                       ("file+sys") ("file+emacs")
                       ("shell" :follow org-link--open-shell)
                       ("news" :follow
                        #[514 "\301\300\302%4Q%2\"\207" ["news" browse-url ":"]
                          6 "\n\n(fn URL ARG)"]
                        )
                       ("mailto" :follow
                        #[514 "\301\300\302%4Q%2\"\207"
                          ["mailto" browse-url ":"] 6 "\n\n(fn URL ARG)"]
                        )
                       ("https" :follow
                        #[514 "\301\300\302%4Q%2\"\207"
                          ["https" browse-url ":"] 6 "\n\n(fn URL ARG)"]
                        )
                       ("http" :follow
                        #[514 "\301\300\302%4Q%2\"\207" ["http" browse-url ":"]
                          6 "\n\n(fn URL ARG)"]
                        )
                       ("ftp" :follow
                        #[514 "\301\300\302%4Q%2\"\207" ["ftp" browse-url ":"]
                          6 "\n\n(fn URL ARG)"]
                        )
                       ("help" :follow org-link--open-help :store
                        org-link--store-help)
                       ("file" :complete org-link-complete-file)
                       ("elisp" :follow org-link--open-elisp))
 org-html-format-headline-function 'org-html-format-headline-default-function
 org-metaup-hook '(org-babel-load-in-session-maybe)
 org-agenda-include-diary t
 )
-- 
C. M. Sperberg-McQueen
Black Mesa Technologies LLC
http://blackmesatech.com