list_to_atom use in kernel/error_logger.erl

[Serge Aleynikov]

I believe what you are referring to is actually a small issue with the 
application_controller rather than error_logger.  If the following patch 
is applied to the application_controller then the logging problem at 
system startup that you indicated will be more readable and you could 
remove the list_to_atom(L) in the error_logger.erl.

--- kernel-2.10.12/src/application_controller.erl Fri Jan 27 17:17:31 2006
+++ lib/kernel/src/application_controller.erl Thu Feb  2 10:12:01 2006
@@ -1932,6 +1932,6 @@
               true ->
                   Term;
               false ->
-                 lists:flatten(io_lib:write(Term))
+                 lists:flatten(io_lib:format("~p", [Term]))
           end,
      lists:sublist(Str, 199).

Regards,

Serge

Gunilla Arendt wrote:
> Serge Aleynikov wrote:
> 
>>
>> Thank you for clarification.  The reason I looked into the 
>> error_logger's code was indeed related to the ugly format of the 
>> displayed message upon an unsuccessful startup with a -boot option.
>>
>> Though I still don't understand the need for list_to_atom(L) there.  
>> Why not just return the list L?  It does work either way.
>>
> 
> I haven't tried to verify this, but my guess would be that someone tried
> to make the output from error_logger more readable in the case where
> the Erlang run-time system fails to start.
> 
> For example, if an application in the boot script fails to start, you
> will see something like this:
> 
> $ erl
> {error_logger,{{2006,2,2},{14,11,52}},'Protocol: ~p: register error: 
> ~p~n',[inet_tcp,{{badmatch,{error,duplicate_name}},[{inet_tcp_dist,listen,1},{ne 
> 
> t_kernel,start_protos,4},{net_kernel,start_protos,3},{net_kernel,init_node,2},{n 
> 
> et_kernel,init,1},{gen_server,init_it,6},{proc_lib,init_p,5}]}]}
> ...
> 
> which is of course somewhat more readable than
> 
> {error_logger,{{2006,2,2},{14,11,52}},[80,114,111,116,111,99,111,108,58,32,126,1 
> 
> 12,58,32,114,101,103,105,115,116,101,114,32,101,114,114,111,114,58,32,126,112,12 
> 
> 6,110],[inet_tcp,{{badmatch,{error,duplicate_name}},[{inet_tcp_dist,listen,1},{ne 
> 
> t_kernel,start_protos,4},{net_kernel,start_protos,3},{net_kernel,init_node,2},{n 
> 
> et_kernel,init,1},{gen_server,init_it,6},{proc_lib,init_p,5}]}]}
> ...
> 
> / Gunilla
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Serge Aleynikov
R&D Telecom, IDT Corp.
Tel: (973) 438-3436
Fax: (973) 438-1464
serge@REDACTED