[erlang-questions] Why does compile:forms spawn a linked process?

[Jeremy Heater]

Hello everyone,

We've been using compile:forms to create a dynamically generated
module, and while testing we realized -  after we started receiving
unexpected process death notifications {'EXIT', Pid, normal} - that it
spawns a linked process.

Compile module code in question:

> forms(File) -> forms(File, ?DEFAULT_OPTIONS).
>
> forms(Forms, Opts) when is_list(Opts) ->
>     do_compile({forms,Forms}, [binary|Opts++env_default_opts()]);
> forms(Forms, Opt) when is_atom(Opt) ->
>     forms(Forms, [Opt|?DEFAULT_OPTIONS]).
>
> do_compile(Input, Opts0) ->
>     Opts = expand_opts(Opts0),
>     Self = self(),
>     Serv = spawn_link(fun() -> internal(Self, Input, Opts) end),
>     receive
>     {Serv,Rep} -> Rep
>     end.
>
> internal(Master, Input, Opts) ->
>     Master ! {self(), try internal(Input, Opts)
>               catch error:Reason -> {error, Reason}
>               end}.


Is there a particular reason spawn_link is used here instead of
calling internal(Input, Opts) directly? For our application it is less
practical, but is there some reason justifying its use?

Best regards,

Jeremy Heater.