[erlang-questions] receive doesn't work well in shell

[Anders Nygren]

On 4/21/07, June Kim <juneaftn@REDACTED> wrote:
> It looks like using receive expression in the shell is valid and
> proper. However, its behaviour is different from what I expected.
>
> There is a module test1:
>
> ==================
> -module(test1).
> -compile(export_all).
>
> get()->receive V->V end.
> ==================
>
> Now we run an erlang shell and use the module:
>
> ==================
> Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.5.3 [async-threads:0]
>
> Eshell V5.5.3  (abort with ^G)
> 1> Me=self().
> <0.29.0>
> 2> F=fun(Fun)-> receive V->Me!(V+1), Fun(Fun) end end.
> #Fun<erl_eval.6.56006484>
> 3> P=spawn(fun()-> F(F) end).
> <0.39.0>
> 4> P!3.
> 3
> 5> test1:get().
> 4
> 6> P!4.
> 4
> 7> test1:get().
> 5
> 8> P!5.
> 5
> 9> test1:get().
> 6
>
> Everything looks alright.
>
> Now we directly use receive expression in the shell, instead of
> calling test1:get/0:
>
> ==================
> Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.5.3 [async-threads:0]
>
> Eshell V5.5.3  (abort with ^G)
> 1> Me=self().
> <0.29.0>
> 2> F=fun(Fun)-> receive V->Me!(V+1), Fun(Fun) end end.
> #Fun<erl_eval.6.56006484>
> 3> P=spawn(fun()-> F(F) end).
> <0.33.0>
> 4> P!3.
> 3
> 5> receive V->V end.
> 4
> 6> P!4.
> 4
> 7> receive V->V end. %% it blocks here, where I expected "5" immediately.
> ==================
>
> Why does the receive block on the input line 7? What's different to
> calling test1:get/0?

When You do
5> receive V->V end.

in the shell the variable V gets bound.

So on line 7 You actually do
receive 4 -> 4 end.

So it hangs waiting to receive the message 4.

/Anders