book

Erlang Programming

by Francesco Cesarini, Simon Thompson

June 2009

Intermediate to advanced

494 pages

14h 7m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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Francesco: Why Erlang?Simon: Why Erlang?Who Should Read This Book?How to Read This BookConventions Used in This BookUsing Code ExamplesSafari® Books OnlineHow to Contact UsAcknowledgments
Why Should I Use Erlang?The History of ErlangErlang’s CharacteristicsHigh-Level ConstructsConcurrent Processes and Message PassingScalable, Safe, and Efficient ConcurrencySoft Real-Time PropertiesRobustnessDistributed ComputationIntegration and OpennessErlang and MulticoreCase StudiesThe AXD301 ATM SwitchCouchDBComparing Erlang to C++How Should I Use Erlang?
IntegersThe Erlang ShellFloatsMathematical OperatorsAtomsBooleansTuplesListsCharacters and StringsAtoms and StringsBuilding and Processing ListsList Functions and OperationsTerm ComparisonVariablesComplex Data StructuresPattern MatchingFunctionsModulesCompilation and the Erlang Virtual MachineModule DirectivesExercisesExercise 2-1: The ShellA. Erlang expressionsB. Assigning through pattern matchingC. Recursive list definitionsD. Flow of execution through pattern matchingE. Extracting values in composite data types through pattern matchingExercise 2-2: Modules and FunctionsExercise 2-3: Simple Pattern Matching
Conditional EvaluationsThe case ConstructVariable ScopeThe if ConstructGuardsBuilt-in FunctionsObject Access and ExaminationType ConversionProcess DictionaryMeta ProgrammingProcess, Port, Distribution, and System InformationInput and OutputRecursionTail-Recursive FunctionsTail-Call Recursion OptimizationTwo accumulators exampleIterations Versus Recursive FunctionsRuntime ErrorsHandling ErrorsUsing try ... catchUsing catchLibrary ModulesDocumentationUseful ModulesThe DebuggerExercisesExercise 3-1: Evaluating ExpressionsExercise 3-2: Creating ListsExercise 3-3: Side EffectsExercise 3-4: Database Handling Using ListsExercise 3-5: Manipulating ListsExercise 3-6: Sorting ListsExercise 3-7: Using Library ModulesExercise 3-8: Evaluating and Compiling ExpressionsExercise 3-9: IndexingExercise 3-10: Text Processing
Creating ProcessesMessage PassingReceiving MessagesSelective and Nonselective ReceivesAn Echo ExampleRegistered ProcessesTimeoutsBenchmarkingProcess SkeletonsTail Recursion and Memory LeaksA Case Study on Concurrency-Oriented ProgrammingRace Conditions, Deadlocks, and Process StarvationThe Process ManagerExercisesExercise 4-1: An Echo ServerExercise 4-2: The Process Ring
Client/Server ModelsA Client/Server ExampleA Process Pattern ExampleFinite State MachinesAn FSM ExampleA Mutex SemaphoreEvent Managers and HandlersA Generic Event Manager ExampleEvent HandlersExercisesExercise 5-1: A Database ServerExercise 5-2: Changing the Frequency ServerExercise 5-3: Swapping HandlersExercise 5-4: Event StatisticsExercise 5-5: Phone FSM
Process Links and Exit SignalsTrapping ExitsThe monitor BIFsThe exit BIFsBIFs and TerminologyPropagation SemanticsRobust SystemsMonitoring ClientsA Supervisor ExampleExercisesExercise 6-1: The Linked Ping Pong ServerExercise 6-2: A Reliable Mutex SemaphoreExercise 6-3: A Supervisor Process
RecordsIntroducing RecordsWorking with RecordsFunctions and Pattern Matching over RecordsRecords in the ShellRecord ImplementationRecord BIFsMacrosSimple MacrosParameterized MacrosDebugging and MacrosInclude FilesExercisesExercise 7-1: Extending RecordsExercise 7-2: Record GuardsExercise 7-3: The db.erl Exercise RevisitedExercise 7-4: Records and ShapesExercise 7-5: Binary Tree RecordsExercise 7-6: Parameterized MacrosExercise 7-7: Counting CallsExercise 7-8: Enumerated TypesExercise 7-9: Debugging the db.erl Exercise
Upgrading ModulesBehind the ScenesLoading CodeThe Code ServerLoading modulesManipulating the code search pathPurging ModulesUpgrading ProcessesThe .erlang FileExerciseExercise 8-1: Software Upgrade During Runtime

Functional Programming for RealFuns and Higher-Order FunctionsFunctions As ArgumentsWriting Down Functions: fun ExpressionsFunctions As ResultsUsing Already Defined FunctionsFunctions and VariablesPredefined, Higher-Order FunctionsLazy Evaluation and ListsList ComprehensionsA First ExampleGeneral List ComprehensionsMultiple GeneratorsStandard FunctionsBinaries and SerializationBinariesThe Bit SyntaxSizesTypesPattern-Matching BitsBitstring ComprehensionsBit Syntax Example: Decoding TCP SegmentsBitwise OperatorsSerializationReferencesExercisesExercise 9-1: Higher-Order FunctionsExercise 9-2: List ComprehensionsExercise 9-3: Zip FunctionsExercise 9-4: Existing Higher-Order FunctionsExercise 9-5: Length Specifications in List ComprehensionsExercise 9-6: Bitstrings
ETS TablesImplementations and Trade-offsCreating TablesHandling Table ElementsExample: Building an Index, Act ITraversing TablesExample: Building an Index, Act IIExtracting Table Information: matchExtracting Table Information: selectOther Operations on TablesRecords and ETS TablesVisualizing TablesDets TablesA Mobile Subscriber Database ExampleThe Database Backend OperationsThe Database ServerExercisesExercise 10-1: Pretty-PrintingExercise 10-2: Indexing RevisitedExercise 10-3: ETS Tables for System Logging
Distributed Systems in ErlangDistributed Computing in Erlang: The BasicsNode Names and VisibilityCommunication and SecurityDistributing the Erlang code: A warningCommunication and MessagesNode ConnectionsHidden nodesRemote Procedure CallsThe rpc ModuleEssential Distributed Programming ModulesThe epmd ProcessDistributed Erlang Behind FirewallsExercisesExercise 11-1: Distributed Associative StoreExercise 11-2: System Monitoring
Introduction to OTP BehaviorsGeneric ServersStarting Your ServerPassing MessagesStopping the ServerThe Example in FullRunning gen_serverSupervisorsSupervisor SpecificationsChild SpecificationsSupervisor ExampleDynamic ChildrenApplicationsDirectory StructureThe Application Resource FileStarting and Stopping ApplicationsThe Application MonitorRelease HandlingOther Behaviors and Further ReadingExercisesExercise 12-1: Database Server RevisitedExercise 12-2: Supervising the Database ServerExercise 12-3: The Database Server As an Application
When to Use MnesiaConfiguring MnesiaSetting Up the SchemaStarting MnesiaMnesia TablesTransactionsWritingReading and DeletingIndexingDirty OperationsPartitioned NetworksFurther ReadingExercisesExercise 13-1: Setting Up MnesiaExercise 13-2: TransactionsExercise 13-3: Dirty Mnesia Operations
wxWidgetswxErlang: An Erlang Binding for wxWidgetsObjects and TypesEvent Handling, Object Identifiers, and Event TypesPutting It All TogetherA First Example: MicroBlogThe MiniBlog ExampleObtaining and Running wxErlangExercisesExercise 14-1: Selecting the Blog FileExercise 14-2: Saving Blog Items SeparatelyExercise 14-3: Multiple Blogs in Separate TabsExercise 14-4: Extending the Entries—Rich TextExercise 14-5: Tagging EntriesExercise 14-6: Multiple Users and CommentsExercise 14-7: Layout and wxErlang Sizers
User Datagram ProtocolTransmission Control ProtocolA TCP ExampleThe inet ModuleFurther ReadingExercisesExercise 15-1: Snooping an HTTP RequestExercise 15-2: A Simple HTTP ProxyExercise 15-3: Peer to Peer
An Overview of InterworkingInterworking with JavaNodes and MailboxesRepresenting Erlang TypesCommunicationPutting It Together: RPC RevisitedInteractionThe Small PrintTaking It FurtherC NodesGoing FurtherErlang from the Unix Shell: erl_callPort ProgramsErlang Port CommandsCommunicating Data to and from a PortLibrary Support for CommunicationWorking in Ruby: erlectricityAn example using erlectricityLinked-in Drivers and the FFIExercisesExercise 16-1: C Factorial via a PortExercise 16-2: Factorial Server in Another Language
IntroductionThe Trace BIFsProcess Trace FlagsInheritance FlagsGarbage Collection and TimestampsTracing Calls with the trace_pattern BIFThe dbg TracerGetting Started with dbgTracing and Profiling FunctionsTracing Local and Global Function CallsDistributed EnvironmentsRedirecting the OutputRedirecting to sockets and binary filesMatch Specifications: The fun SyntaxGenerating Specifications Using fun2msOdds and ends with fun2msDifference Between ets and dbg Match SpecificationsMatch Specifications: The Nuts and BoltsThe HeadConditionsThe Specification BodySaving Match SpecificationsFurther ReadingExercisesExercise 17-1: Measuring Garbage Collection TimesExercise 17-2: Garbage Collection Using dbgExercise 17-3: Tracing ETS Table EntriesExercise 17-4: Who Is the Culprit?
Types in ErlangAn Example: Records with Typed FieldsErlang Type NotationTypEr: Success Types and Type InferenceDialyzer: A DIscrepancy AnaLYZer for ERlang ProgramsDocumentation with EDocDocumenting usr_db.erlModule tagsFunction tagsGeneric tagsRunning EDocModule pagesOverview pageTypes in EDocGoing Further with EDocExercises
Test-Driven DevelopmentEUnitHow to Use EUnitFunctional Testing, an Example: Tree SerializationThe EUnit InfrastructureAssert MacrosTest-Generating FunctionsEUnit Test RepresentationTesting State-Based SystemsFixtures: Setup and CleanupTesting Concurrent Programs in ErlangExercisesExercise 19-1: Testing Sequential FunctionsExercise 19-2: Testing Concurrent SystemsExercise 19-3: Software UpgradeExercise 19-4: Testing OTP BehaviorsExercise 19-5: Devising Tests for OTP Behaviors
Applications and ModulesLibrariesDirty CodeInterfacesReturn ValuesInternal Data StructuresProcesses and ConcurrencyStylistic ConventionsCoding StrategiesEfficiencySequential ProgrammingListsTail Recursion and Non-tail RecursionConcurrencyAnd Finally...
Getting Started with ErlangInstalling the SystemRunning the Erlang ShellTools for ErlangEditorsOther ToolsWhere to Learn More

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Index

A note on the digital index

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