同期とシーケンシャルを混同している可能性があります。
erlangの関数の本体は順次処理されています。したがって、この「自動効果」についてスペンサーが言ったことは、アーランには当てはまりません。この動作をerlangでモデル化することもできます。
たとえば、1行の単語数を計算するプロセスを生成できます。複数の行があるため、行ごとにそのようなプロセスを1つ生成し、その行から合計を計算するための回答を受け取ります。
このようにして、「重い」計算を行うプロセス(可能な場合は追加のコアを利用)を生成し、後で結果を収集します。
-module(countwords).
-export([count_words_in_lines/1]).
count_words_in_lines(Lines) ->
% For each line in lines run spawn_summarizer with the process id (pid)
% and a line to work on as arguments.
% This is a list comprehension and spawn_summarizer will return the pid
% of the process that was created. So the variable Pids will hold a list
% of process ids.
Pids = [spawn_summarizer(self(), Line) || Line <- Lines],
% For each pid receive the answer. This will happen in the same order in
% which the processes were created, because we saved [pid1, pid2, ...] in
% the variable Pids and now we consume this list.
Results = [receive_result(Pid) || Pid <- Pids],
% Sum up the results.
WordCount = lists:sum(Results),
io:format("We've got ~p words, Sir!~n", [WordCount]).
spawn_summarizer(S, Line) ->
% Create a anonymous function and save it in the variable F.
F = fun() ->
% Split line into words.
ListOfWords = string:tokens(Line, " "),
Length = length(ListOfWords),
io:format("process ~p calculated ~p words~n", [self(), Length]),
% Send a tuple containing our pid and Length to S.
S ! {self(), Length}
end,
% There is no return in erlang, instead the last value in a function is
% returned implicitly.
% Spawn the anonymous function and return the pid of the new process.
spawn(F).
% The Variable Pid gets bound in the function head.
% In erlang, you can only assign to a variable once.
receive_result(Pid) ->
receive
% Pattern-matching: the block behind "->" will execute only if we receive
% a tuple that matches the one below. The variable Pid is already bound,
% so we are waiting here for the answer of a specific process.
% N is unbound so we accept any value.
{Pid, N} ->
io:format("Received \"~p\" from process ~p~n", [N, Pid]),
N
end.
シェルでこれを実行すると、次のようになります。
Eshell V5.6.5 (abort with ^G)
1> Lines = ["This is a string of text", "and this is another", "and yet another", "it's getting boring now"].
["This is a string of text","and this is another",
"and yet another","it's getting boring now"]
2> c(countwords).
{ok,countwords}
3> countwords:count_words_in_lines(Lines).
process <0.39.0> calculated 6 words
process <0.40.0> calculated 4 words
process <0.41.0> calculated 3 words
process <0.42.0> calculated 4 words
Received "6" from process <0.39.0>
Received "4" from process <0.40.0>
Received "3" from process <0.41.0>
Received "4" from process <0.42.0>
We've got 17 words, Sir!
ok
4>