Browse Library
Sign In Start Free Trial
Close icon Search icon
Account
Browse Library Advanced Search Sign In Start Free Trial

Add to playlist

Create a Playlist

Modal Close icon
You need to login to use this feature.
  • Book Overview & Buying Elixir Cookbook
  • Table Of Contents Toc
  • Feedback & Rating feedback
Elixir Cookbook

Elixir Cookbook

By : Paulo Pereira
4.5 (2)
Buy this Book
close
close
Elixir Cookbook

Elixir Cookbook

4.5 (2)
By: Paulo Pereira
Buy this Book

Overview of this book

This book is intended for users with some knowledge of the Elixir language syntax and basic data types/structures. Although this is a cookbook and no sequential reading is required, the book’s structure will allow less advanced users who follow it to be gradually exposed to some of Elixir’s features and concepts specific to functional programming. To get the most out of this book, you need to be well versed with Erlang.
Table of Contents (11 chapters)
close
close
close
Preface
Icon
Preface
Icon
What this book covers
Icon
What you need for this book
Icon
Who this book is for
Icon
Sections
Icon
Conventions
Icon
Reader feedback
Icon
Customer support
Lock Free Chapter
1
1. Command Line
chevron up
Icon
1. Command Line
Icon
Introduction
Icon
Using the terminal to prototype and test ideas
Icon
Loading and compiling modules
Icon
Getting help and accessing documentation within IEx
Icon
Using Erlang from Elixir
Icon
Inspecting your system in IEx
Icon
Inspecting your system with Observer
Icon
Creating a simple application
Icon
Managing dependencies
Icon
Generating a supervised application
Icon
Generating umbrella applications
Icon
Managing application configuration
Icon
Creating custom Mix tasks
2
2. Data Types and Structures
Icon
2. Data Types and Structures
Icon
Understanding immutability
Icon
Adding and subtracting lists
Icon
Combining tuples into a list
Icon
Creating and manipulating keyword lists
Icon
Using pattern matching
Icon
Pattern matching an HTTPoison response
Icon
Creating a key/value store with a map
Icon
Mapping and reducing enumerables
Icon
Generating lazy (even infinite) sequences
Icon
Streaming a file as a resource
3
3. Strings and Binaries
Icon
3. Strings and Binaries
Icon
Introduction
Icon
Joining strings
Icon
Splitting strings
Icon
Replacing string codepoints with patterns
Icon
Slicing strings with ranges
Icon
Using regular expressions
Icon
Combining operations with the |> operator
Icon
Creating a word list
Icon
Determining the word frequency in a text
Icon
Reading and writing metadata from MP3 files
4
4. Modules and Functions
Icon
4. Modules and Functions
Icon
Introduction
Icon
Namespacing modules
Icon
Using module attributes as constants
Icon
Enforcing behaviors
Icon
Documenting modules
Icon
Using module directives
Icon
Using a module in the scripted mode
Icon
Defining functions with default arguments
Icon
Using guard clauses and pattern matching in function definitions
5
5. Processes and Nodes
Icon
5. Processes and Nodes
Icon
Introduction
Icon
Sending messages between processes
Icon
Making code run on all available CPUs
Icon
Using tasks to perform multiple concurrent computations
Icon
Creating a stateful server process (messages with counters)
Icon
Using agents as an abstraction around states
Icon
Using an ETS table to share the state
Icon
Creating named nodes
Icon
Connecting nodes
Icon
Executing code in a different node
6
6. OTP – Open Telecom Platform
Icon
6. OTP – Open Telecom Platform
Icon
Introduction
Icon
Implementing a GenServer
Icon
Expanding our server
Icon
Creating a supervisor
Icon
Using Observer to inspect supervisors and processes
Icon
Handling errors and managing exceptions
Icon
Packaging and releasing an OTP application
Icon
Deploying applications and updating a running system
7
7. Cowboy and Phoenix
Icon
7. Cowboy and Phoenix
Icon
Introduction
Icon
Setting up Cowboy
Icon
Serving static files
Icon
Implementing a websocket handler
Icon
Creating a Phoenix application
Icon
Defining routes
Icon
Creating a controller
Icon
Creating views and templates
Icon
Implementing topics
Icon
Protecting the Phoenix app with SSL
8
8. Interactions
Icon
8. Interactions
Icon
Introduction
Icon
Using Redis and Postgres
Icon
Using OS commands from within Elixir
Icon
Getting Twitter data
9
A. Installation and Further Reading
Icon
A. Installation and Further Reading
Icon
Installing Elixir
Icon
Installing PostgreSQL
Icon
Installing Redis
Icon
Some useful links
10
Index
Icon
Index

Using Erlang from Elixir

Elixir code runs in the Erlang VM. The ability to invoke Erlang code from within Elixir allows the use of resources from the entire Erlang ecosystem, and since Elixir code is compiled to the same byte code as Erlang code, there is no performance penalty.

It is also possible to include in an Elixir application the Erlang code that is already compiled.

If you take a closer look, the files we compile in IEx sessions have the .beam extension, and that's exactly the same format Erlang's compiled code gets transformed into.

Getting ready

To use Erlang code in Elixir, we start a new IEx session.

How to do it…

These are some examples of how to invoke Erlang code from Elixir:

  1. Erlang's Application module defines a function named which_applications. This function returns a list of applications being executed in an Erlang VM. This is the way to use this function from Elixir:
    iex(1)> :application.which_applications

    Note

    The Erlang code would be application:which_applications().

  2. To get information on any Erlang module, there is a function named module_info. To know more about the erlang module, we enter this:
    iex(2)> :erlang.module_info

    Note

    The Erlang code would be erlang:module_info().

How it works…

In Elixir, Erlang modules are represented as atoms. Functions in these modules are invoked in the same way as any Elixir function.

Note

In Elixir, the atom type is used as an identifier for a given value. In Ruby, the equivalent of the atom is known as the symbol.

There's more…

Existing Erlang libraries can be included in Elixir applications, widening the available options. It is also possible to choose an Erlang implementation of a module over Elixir's.

The Elixir standard library has a List module defined. The Erlang counterpart is lists.

If we wish to get the last element of a list, we could use both modules:

  • We can use Elixir's List module like this:
    List.last([1,2,3])
  • We can use Erlang's lists module in this manner:
    :lists.last([1,2,3])

    Note

    The Erlang code for this operation is lists:last([1,2,3]).

Visually different images
CONTINUE READING
83
Tech Concepts
36
Programming languages
73
Tech Tools
Icon Unlimited access to the largest independent learning library in tech of over 8,000 expert-authored tech books and videos.
Icon Innovative learning tools, including AI book assistants, code context explainers, and text-to-speech.
Icon 50+ new titles added per month and exclusive early access to books as they are being written.
Elixir Cookbook
End of Section 1
Next Section
notes
bookmark Notes and Bookmarks search Search in title playlist Add to playlist font-size Font size

Change the font size

margin-width Margin width

Change margin width

day-mode Day/Sepia/Night Modes

Change background colour

Close icon Search
Country selected
Close icon Your notes and bookmarks

Confirmation

Modal Close icon
claim successful
Order Page Read Now

Buy this book with your credits?

Modal Close icon
Are you sure you want to buy this book with one of your credits?
Close
YES, BUY

Submit Your Feedback

Modal Close icon
Modal Close icon
Modal Close icon