ensure_started

[Joe Armstrong]

On Fri, 21 Mar 2003, Peter H|gfeldt wrote:

> 
> On Feb 1, 1997 I wrote the following, addressed to the OTP developing
> team. I think it is still valid. 
> 
> /Peter
> 
> "Sometimes I see code like the following (in real applications or in
> examples in documents):
> 
> start(Name, Module, Args) ->
>     case whereis(Name) of
>         undefined ->
>             Pid = spawn(Module, init, Args),
>             register(Name, Pid),
>             Pid;
>         Other ->
>             Other
>     end.
> 
> That is bad programming:
> 
... etc.

  Indeed it is :-) - I often  wonder why we made spawn/3 a primitive and
not just spawn a "universal" empty  process and then send it a message
telling it what to do.


	Pid = spawn()
	Pid ! Fun()

where

	spawn() ->
	   spawn(fun() ->
		   receive
			Fun ->
			   Fun()
		   end
		 end).

  This  is  particularly useful  when  you  need  to setup  sets  of
mutually recursive processes, then you can say:

	Pid1 = spawn()
	Pid2 = spawn(),
	Pid1 ! fun() -> ... Pid2 ... end,
	Pid2 ! fun() -> ... Pid1 ... end,

  /Joe