[erlang-questions] Why do we need modules at all?

[Vlad Dumitrescu]

2011/5/24 Frédéric Trottier-Hébert <fred.hebert@REDACTED>

> One issue is that while plain files are abstractions, they are a very
> common one, compatible with most systems you will see in use, and on which
> many tools have been developed, including source control, IDEs, e-mail
> attachments, documentation and conversation.
>
> I do not see the idea of a database as inherently bad -- it could be a good
> supplement to the developer, much like module_info is for modules. Using a
> DB for everything (with unique IDs) could solve the problem of nested
> dependencies, where library A needs library B 1.1.2 while library C needs B
> 1.2.0 and both can not be loaded at once.
>
> But the social problems it creates -- how to communicate about functions,
> how to regroup collections of them in an exportable way, how to version
> them, how to patch them, how to reload them, etc. are not worth the change,
> I believe.
>

One can always create a virtual filesystem on top of the database.

One can also implement a virtual database on top of the filesystem.

regards,
Vlad
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