Extending Functionality: gen_server_ext

[Vlad Dumitrescu (EAW)]

Hi,

> From: martin j logan [mailto:martin@REDACTED] 
> I have been following this thread since it started with some 
> interest. I fear that I am not quite smart enough for all of  this.

I can assure you the discussion not have anything to do with being
smart or not. If anything, maybe with my own inability to grasp key
concepts. :-)

> Erlang is simple, straight forward and fairly consistent, that is
> what makes it great. Processes are painfully easy to conceptualize,
> and I can make them talk, its all so easy. I don't think about
> mutex. My logic variables once  assigned are not going to change
> value unexpectedly. Code is mostly referentially transparent except
> when it is "simpler" to cheat and have a global, again, real
> easy. Erlang is simple and expressive. It allows for rapid
> development and ease of refactoring.

Yes, you are absolutely right!

> While the ideas that are  expressed in this thread are quite
> interesting and have much merit I think that they would serve to
> undermine erlangs greatest strength -  simplicity.

Here I don't really agree. Erlang is just as you say, but not anything
about Erlang is simple. Take for example OTP (there was a thread
recently about this) and please anybody who can really say he/she 
masters it, raise your hand! I think there won't be more than ten 
hands raised... the reason: OTP is complex, even if it's built on 
Erlang.

Now is there anyone doubting the need for OTP in a complex system 
setting? Not many hands here either, I'd guess... the reason:
OTP is useful. We accept the price of added complexity because it
saves effort somewhere else.

What we are talking about here about extendig Erlang, is not really
about the language, but about OTP. The language is a base to build on,
with higher-level abstractions. If it weren't like that, we would all
still write assembler. What we are exploring is another approach to
building functionality. Maybe in the end it will not look at all like
we are discussing it today, maybe it will be much simpler. But for now
I can only think of it in these terms.

best regards, 
Vlad