Elixir v1.0.5 Node

Functions related to VM nodes.

Some of the functions in this module are inlined by the compiler, similar to functions in the Kernel module and they are explicitly marked in their docs as “inlined by the compiler”. For more information about inlined functions, check out the Kernel module.

Summary

Types

t()

Functions

alive?()

Returns true if the local node is alive

connect(node)

Establishes a connection to node

disconnect(node)

Forces the disconnection of a node

get_cookie()

Returns the magic cookie of the local node

list()

Returns a list of all visible nodes in the system, excluding the local node

list(args)

Returns a list of nodes according to argument given

monitor(node, flag)

Monitors the status of the node

monitor(node, flag, options)

Behaves as monitor/2 except that it allows an extra option to be given, namely :allow_passive_connect

ping(node)

Tries to set up a connection to node

self()

Returns the current node

set_cookie(node \\ Node.self(), cookie)

Sets the magic cookie of node to the atom cookie

spawn(node, fun)

Returns the pid of a new process started by the application of fun on node. If node does not exist, a useless pid is returned

spawn(node, fun, opts)

Returns the pid of a new process started by the application of fun on node

spawn(node, module, fun, args)

Returns the pid of a new process started by the application of module.function(args) on node

spawn(node, module, fun, args, opts)

Returns the pid of a new process started by the application of module.function(args) on node

spawn_link(node, fun)

Returns the pid of a new linked process started by the application of fun on node

spawn_link(node, module, fun, args)

Returns the pid of a new linked process started by the application of module.function(args) on node

start(name, type \\ :longnames, tick_time \\ 15000)

Turns a non-distributed node into a distributed node

stop()

Turns a distributed node into a non-distributed node

Types

t :: node

Functions

alive?()

Specs

alive? :: boolean

Returns true if the local node is alive.

That is, if the node can be part of a distributed system.

connect(node)

Specs

connect(t) :: boolean | :ignored

Establishes a connection to node.

Returns true if successful, false if not, and the atom :ignored if the local node is not alive.

See http://erlang.org/doc/man/net_kernel.html#connect_node-1 for more info.

disconnect(node)

Specs

disconnect(t) :: boolean | :ignored

Forces the disconnection of a node.

This will appear to the node as if the local node has crashed. This function is mainly used in the Erlang network authentication protocols. Returns true if disconnection succeeds, otherwise false. If the local node is not alive, the function returns :ignored.

See http://www.erlang.org/doc/man/erlang.html#disconnect_node-1 for more info.

get_cookie()

Returns the magic cookie of the local node.

Returns the cookie if the node is alive, otherwise :nocookie.

list()

Specs

list :: [t]

Returns a list of all visible nodes in the system, excluding the local node.

Same as list(:visible).

list(args)

Specs

list(state | [state]) :: [t]

Returns a list of nodes according to argument given.

The result returned when the argument is a list, is the list of nodes satisfying the disjunction(s) of the list elements.

See http://www.erlang.org/doc/man/erlang.html#nodes-1 for more info.

monitor(node, flag)

Specs

monitor(t, boolean) :: true

Monitors the status of the node.

If flag is true, monitoring is turned on. If flag is false, monitoring is turned off.

See http://www.erlang.org/doc/man/erlang.html#monitor_node-2 for more info.

monitor(node, flag, options)

Specs

monitor(t, boolean, [:allow_passive_connect]) :: true

Behaves as monitor/2 except that it allows an extra option to be given, namely :allow_passive_connect.

See http://www.erlang.org/doc/man/erlang.html#monitor_node-3 for more info.

ping(node)

Specs

ping(t) :: :pong | :pang

Tries to set up a connection to node.

Returns :pang if it fails, or :pong if it is successful.

Examples

iex> Node.ping(:unknown_node)
:pang

self()

Specs

self :: t

Returns the current node.

It returns the same as the built-in node().

set_cookie(node \\ Node.self(), cookie)

Sets the magic cookie of node to the atom cookie.

The default node is Node.self, the local node. If node is the local node, the function also sets the cookie of all other unknown nodes to cookie.

This function will raise FunctionClauseError if the given node is not alive.

spawn(node, fun)

Specs

spawn(t, (() -> any)) :: pid

Returns the pid of a new process started by the application of fun on node. If node does not exist, a useless pid is returned.

Check http://www.erlang.org/doc/man/erlang.html#spawn-2 for the list of available options.

Inlined by the compiler.

spawn(node, fun, opts)

Specs

spawn(t, (() -> any), Process.spawn_opts) ::
  pid |
  {pid, reference}

Returns the pid of a new process started by the application of fun on node.

If node does not exist, a useless pid is returned. Check http://www.erlang.org/doc/man/erlang.html#spawn_opt-3 for the list of available options.

Inlined by the compiler.

spawn(node, module, fun, args)

Specs

spawn(t, module, atom, [any]) :: pid

Returns the pid of a new process started by the application of module.function(args) on node.

If node does not exist, a useless pid is returned. Check http://www.erlang.org/doc/man/erlang.html#spawn-4 for the list of available options.

Inlined by the compiler.

spawn(node, module, fun, args, opts)

Specs

spawn(t, module, atom, [any], Process.spawn_opts) ::
  pid |
  {pid, reference}

Returns the pid of a new process started by the application of module.function(args) on node.

If node does not exist, a useless pid is returned. Check http://www.erlang.org/doc/man/erlang.html#spawn_opt-5 for the list of available options.

Inlined by the compiler.

spawn_link(node, fun)

Specs

spawn_link(t, (() -> any)) :: pid

Returns the pid of a new linked process started by the application of fun on node.

A link is created between the calling process and the new process, atomically. If node does not exist, a useless pid is returned (and due to the link, an exit signal with exit reason :noconnection will be received).

Inlined by the compiler.

spawn_link(node, module, fun, args)

Specs

spawn_link(t, module, atom, [any]) :: pid

Returns the pid of a new linked process started by the application of module.function(args) on node.

Inlined by the compiler.

start(name, type \\ :longnames, tick_time \\ 15000)

Specs

start(node, :longnames | :shortnames, non_neg_integer) ::
  {:ok, pid} |
  {:error, term}

Turns a non-distributed node into a distributed node.

This functionality starts the :net_kernel and other related processes.

stop()

Specs

stop :: :ok | {:error, :not_allowed | :not_found}

Turns a distributed node into a non-distributed node.

For other nodes in the network, this is the same as the node going down. Only possible when the node was started with Node.start/3, otherwise returns {:error, :not_allowed}. Returns {:error, :not_found} if the local node is not alive.