I think this is what you need. I am not sure if you can expand noweb
outside a src block, so I use an inline src block to get this.


#+name: required_date
#+BEGIN_SRC text :exports none
Jan 5, 2020
#+END_SRC

In order to engage the flux capacitor, you must set the
  chronometer dial to src_emacs-lisp[:noweb yes :exports
results]{"<<required_date>>"} {{{results(=Jan 5\, 2020=)}}}.

#+begin_src conf :noweb yes
date: <<required_date>>
#+end_src


John

-----------------------------------
Professor John Kitchin
Doherty Hall A207F
Department of Chemical Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
412-268-7803
@johnkitchin
http://kitchingroup.cheme.cmu.edu



On Sun, Jan 5, 2020 at 4:47 AM Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I’ve read through most of the docs that turn up with the obvious web
> searches and I haven’t been able to figure this out. However, it seems
> like it should be possible…
>
> I’m quite pleased with how babel and noweb can be used to write
> “literate programs” for configuration files and scripts.
>
> Cross references between code blocks with <<noweb-references>> work
> just fine. What I’d like, but can’t work out, is how to refer to, for
> example, a configuration value inline. Something like this:
>
>   In order to engage the flux capacitor, you must set the
>   chronometer dial to ~<<required_date>>~.
>
>   #+begin_src conf :noweb yes
>   date: <<required_date>>
>   #+end_src
>
> I don’t care how or where “required_date” is defined, I just want the
> ability to refer to it in the documentation and in code blocks.
>
> Have I overlooked something obvious?
>
>                                         Be seeing you,
>                                           norm
>
> --
> Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com> | The stone fell on the pitcher? Woe to
> http://nwalsh.com/            | the pitcher. The pitcher fell on the
>                               | stone? Woe to the pitcher.--Rabbinic
>                               | Saying
>