Erlang (programming language)/Tutorials
Erlang Language Programming Tutorials
Overview
Simple Types
Advanced Types
Examples
Hello World (serial)
Code Example
-module(hello).
-export([start/0]).
start() ->
io:format("Hello, world!\n").
Analysis of the example
The Hello World program (see above) appears in many programming languages books and articles as a cursory introduction into a language's syntax. The first hello world program was introduced in the book The C Programming Language[1].
-module(hello) tells the compiler to create a new module(library) called hello. The code tells us the file name for this code: hello.erl.
-export([start/0]). exports a function named start with 0 arguments to the world outside of this module called hello.
start() -> tells the compiler that there is a function named start() with no arguments.
io:format("Hello, world!\n"). will make the program output Hello, world! and a new line (\n) on the screen.
Hello World (parallel)
Parallel Hello World
-module(tree_hello). % 1
-export([start/0, speak/1]). % 2
% 3
start() -> % 4
Pid1 = spawn( tree_hello, speak,[ 1 ]), % 5
Pid2 = spawn( tree_hello, speak,[ 2 ]), % 6
Pid1 ! {hello, world}, % 7
Pid2 ! {hello, world}, % 8
done. % 9
% 10
speak(N) -> % 11
receive % 12
{hello, world} -> % 13
io:format("Hello, world! ~w \n", [N]) % 14
end. % 15
==========================================================================
output
--------------------
tree_hello:start().
hello world! 1
hello world! 2
done
Analysis of the example
Here is a simple hello world in the parallel spirit of erlang. The program, par_hello, will create 3 processes, one manager process called "start( )" and 2 worker processes called speak(1) and speak(2) in a tree like relationship. Start( ) creates speak(1) and speak(2), then start( ) sends a message to each worker. The message is {hello, world}. Each worker process responds by printing out "hello world". All three are running simultaneously when line 7 starts.
Lines 1 to 4: see serial "hello world". Line 5 spawns a process called speak giving it one argument with the value 1. Line 5 also creates a variable Pid1 and gives it the processes id number of speak(1). Line 6 spawns a process called speak giving it one argument with the value 2. Line 6 also creates a variable Pid2 and gives it the process id number of speak(2). Line 7 uses the Pid1(process id number of speak(1) to send a message to speak(1). Line 8 uses the Pid2(process id number of speak(2) to send a message to speak(2). Line 9 "done" is an arbitrary atom that finishes the function start( ). Line 10 is a call to print formated text from the input/output(io) module(library). Line 11 starts the function speak(N). Line 12 starts to listen for a message. Line 13 lists the message that is received Line 14 shows what happens when the message in 13 is received. Line 14 prints out "hello world 1" if N is one or "hello world 2" if N is 2
Note: bang, ! in erlang means "send the following message".
Prime Sieve (parallel with linda type coordination)
How many processes can this program use? This program creates as many sieves as the square root of the numbers in the matrix. If we are looking for the primes below 100 then there are ~10 parallel sieve processes. Actually, most of the seive processes are halted and only (the number of prime numbers under the square root of Max) processes are left at the end. This allows an easy parallelism of 10 for 100 and 100 for 10000 with little modification.
Prime Sieve Program (parallel)
-module(primes).
% This is a simple linda tuplespace. Here we use it to find primes numbers. % This tuple-space can not have duplicate tuples, but with a prime sieve it does % not matter.
-compile(export_all).
start() -> start(100). % defualt value for max is 100
start(Max) ->
io:format(" Loading ~w numbers into matrix (+N) \n ", [ Max ] ),
Lid = spawn_link( primes, linda, [Max, [], [] ]),
Sqrt = round(math:sqrt(Max)+0.5),
io:format(" Sqrt(~w) + 1 = ~w \n " , [Max,Sqrt] ),
io:format(" Tuple space is started ~n ",[]),
io:format(" ~w sieves are spawning (+PN) ~n ", [Sqrt] ),
io:format(" Non prime sieves are being halted (-PN) ~n ", [] ),
% load numbers into tuplespace
% and spawn seive process
spawn( primes, put_it, [Max, Max, Lid] ).
start_sieves(Lid) ->
Lid ! {self(), get, all, pids},
receive
{lindagram, pids, Pids} -> done
end,
start_sieve_loop(Pids).
start_sieve_loop([]) -> done;
start_sieve_loop([Pid|Pids]) ->
receive
after 100 -> done
end,
Pid ! {start},
start_sieve_loop(Pids).
spawn_sieves( _Max, Sqrt, _Lid, Sqrt ) -> done;
spawn_sieves( Max, Inc, Lid, Sqrt ) ->
T = 1000,
Pid = spawn( primes, sieve, [ Max, Inc+Inc, Inc, Lid, T ]),
Name = list_to_atom("P" ++ integer_to_list(Inc)),
Lid ! {put, pid, Name},
register( Name, Pid),
io:format(" +~s ", [atom_to_list(Name)]),
spawn_sieves( Max, Inc+1, Lid, Sqrt ).
put_it(Max, N, Lid) when N =< 1 ->
Sqrt = round(math:sqrt(Max)+0.5),
spawn_sieves( Max, 2, Lid, Sqrt );
put_it(Max, N,Lid) when N > 1 ->
receive
after 0 ->
Lid ! {put, N, N},
if
N rem 1000 == 0 ->
io:format(" +~w ", [N]);
true -> done
end,
put_it(Max, N-1,Lid)
end.
% the 2 sieve starts last and has the most to do so it finishes last
sieve(Max, N, 2, Lid, _T) when N > Max ->
io:format("final sieve ~w done, ~n", [2] ),
Lid ! {dump,output};
sieve(Max, N, Inc, _Lid, _T) when N > Max ->
io:format("sieve ~w done ", [Inc] );
sieve(Max, N, Inc, Lid, T) when N =< Max ->
receive
after
T -> NT = 0
end,
receive
{lindagram,Number} when Number =/= undefined ->
clearing_the_queue;
{exit} -> exit(normal)
after
1 -> done
end,
% remove multiple of number from tuple-space
Lid ! {self(), get, N},
Some_time = (N rem 1000)==0,
if Some_time -> io:format("."); true -> done end,
% remove (multiple of Inc) from sieve-process space
Name = list_to_atom("P" ++ integer_to_list(N)),
Exists = lists:member( Name, registered()),
if
Exists ->
Name ! {exit},
io:format(" -~s ", [atom_to_list(Name)] );
true -> done
end,
sieve(Max, N+Inc, Inc, Lid, NT). % next multiple
%% linda is a simple tutple space
%% if it receives no messages for 2 whole seconds it dumps its contents
%% as output and halts
linda(Max, Keys, Pids) ->
receive
{put, pid, Pid} ->
linda(Max, Keys, Pids++[Pid]);
{put, Name, Value} ->
put( Name, Value),
linda(Max, Keys++[Name], Pids);
{From, get, Name} ->
From ! {lindagram, get( Name)},
erase( Name ), % get is a desructive read
linda(Max, Keys--[Name],Pids);
{From, get, all, pids} ->
From ! {lindagram, pids, Pids},
linda(Max, Keys, Pids );
{From, get, pid, Pid} ->
L1 = length( Pids ),
L2 = length( Pids -- [Pid]),
if
L1 > L2 -> % if it exists
From ! {lindagram, pid, Pid};
true ->
From ! {lindagram, pid, undefined}
end,
linda(Max, Keys, Pids );
{dump,output} ->
io:format(" ~w final primes remain: ~w ~n ", [length(Keys), lists:sort(Keys) ])
after (100*Max) -> % if there is not tuple action after some time then print the results
io:format(" ~w primes remain: ~w ~n ", [length(Keys), lists:sort(Keys) ])
end.
Sample Output for Prime Sieve
c(primes). primes:start(1000). Loading 1000 numbers into matrix (+N) Sqrt(1000) + 1 = 32 Tuple space is started 32 sieves are spawning (+PN) Non prime sieves are being halted (-PN) +1000 <0.46.0> +P2 +P3 +P4 +P5 +P6 +P7 +P8 +P9 +P10 +P11 +P12 +P13 +P14 +P15 +P16 +P17 +P18 +P19 +P20 +P21 +P22 +P23 +P24 +P25 +P26 +P27 +P28 +P29 +P30 +P31 -P8 -P6 -P4 -P9 -P12 -P10 -P15 -P15 -P18 -P14 -P21 -P21 -P22 -P26 -P20 -P24 -P25 -P27 -P28 -P30 -P30 -P16 sieve 31 done sieve 29 done sieve 19 done sieve 23 done sieve 11 done sieve 13 done sieve 17 done sieve 7 done .sieve 5 done sieve 3 done .final sieve 2 done, 168 final primes remain: [2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19,23,29,31,37,41,43,47,53,59,61,67, 71,73,79,83,89,97, 101,103,107,109,113,127,131,137,139,149,151,157,163, 167,173,179,181,191,193,197,199, 211,223,227,229,233,239,241,251,257,263,269,271,277,281,283,293, 307,311,313,317,331,337,347,349,353,359,367,373,379,383,389,397, 401,409,419,421,431,433,439,443,449,457,461,463,467,479,487,491, 499,503,509,521,523,541,547,557,563,569,571,577,587,593,599, 601,607,613,617,619,631,641,643,647,653,659,661,673,677,683,691, 701,709,719,727,733,739,743,751,757,761,769,773,787,797, 809,811,821,823,827,829,839,853,857,859,863,877,881,883,887, 907,911,919,929,937,941,947,953,967,971,977,983,991,997]
Autonomous Agents
See definition of Autonomous Agent.
Advanced OTP
ETS
Mimsia
References
1 - Erlang Man Pages at Erlang,org
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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