[erlang-questions] Logging from nif (and especially from rust nif)

[Max Lapshin]

Hi.

I'm playing now with rust nif and can advice nice library:
https://github.com/hansihe/rustler

For those of us, who do not understand what is there about elixir: don't
worry, no need to use it, there should be a simple makefile for compiling
rust.


I've met stange situation while using println!  mechanism in rust nif  (I'm
speaking about enterprise real world debugging: as lot of prints as
possible).  Nif crashes from println.

if you are lucky to catch debug message, you will see something like:

stack backtrace:

   0: std::sys::imp::backtrace::tracing::imp::unwind_backtrace

   1: std::sys_common::backtrace::_print

   2: std::panicking::default_hook::{{closure}}

   3: std::panicking::default_hook

   4: std::panicking::rust_panic_with_hook

   5: std::panicking::begin_panic


or even info about error code 35.


Problem is that stdout is in non-blocking mode and when rust tries to write
output, it gets error that it is not waiting for.

I've decided not to change anything in rust stdlib, but use another
mechanism:

1) take pid of output writing process

2) send messages to it from rust.


Here is the way to get whom to send IO request messages:

logger() ->

  UserDrv = whereis(user_drv),

  CurGroup = case (is_pid(UserDrv) andalso process_info(UserDrv,
dictionary)) of

    {dictionary, UserDrvDict} ->

      proplists:get_value(current_group, UserDrvDict);

    _ ->

      undefined

  end,

  case is_pid(CurGroup) of

    true ->

      CurGroup;

    false ->

      {_,GL} = process_info(self(),group_leader),

      GL

  end.


and here is how do I log there from rust:


  if let Some(ref logger) = mpegts.logger {
    env.pid();
    env.send(logger, (
      atoms::io_request().encode(env),
      env.pid().encode(env),
      atoms::ok().encode(env),
      (
        atoms::put_chars().encode(env),
        atoms::unicode().encode(env),
        (string+"\n").encode(env)
      ).encode(env)
    ).encode(env))
  }


One simple hack here: I do not send Mref as 3'rd argument, but I send atom
ok. Seems to be working.
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