Question 1

How do I install enm in my Erlang project?

Accepted Answer

You can start enm as a normal Erlang application using application:start(enm) or via enm:start_link/0. Ensure the nanomsg C library is installed on your system first, as enm is a port driver that wraps it, and add the enm beam files to your load path.

Question 2

Does enm support the latest version of nanomsg?

Accepted Answer

No, enm is currently based on nanomsg version 1.0.0, as stated in the README. This means it might not include features or security patches from newer nanomsg releases, so check for updates or forks if you need current nanomsg capabilities.

Question 3

enm vs gproc or RabbitMQ for Erlang messaging?

Accepted Answer

enm is specifically for integrating nanomsg's scalable protocols into Erlang, offering low-level, high-performance communication. gproc is a process registry for service discovery, and RabbitMQ is a message broker with AMQP; choose enm when you need direct nanomsg compatibility and protocol diversity within Erlang systems.

Question 4

How to handle socket errors in enm?

Accepted Answer

Error handling follows Erlang conventions: functions return error tuples like {error, Reason}, and you can use pattern matching in receive statements. For example, recv/2 returns {error,etimedout} on timeout, and active mode messages include socket types for error tracking, as shown in the examples.

Question 5

Can I use enm with OTP applications?

Accepted Answer

Yes, enm can be integrated into OTP applications by starting it in your supervision tree, but manage it carefully due to its experimental nature. Use functions like controlling_process/2 to align with OTP process patterns, but be prepared for potential instability or changes.

Question 6

What's the performance of enm compared to Erlang's built-in messaging?

Accepted Answer

enm leverages nanomsg's high-performance C library for scalable inter-process and network communication, but it introduces overhead from the port driver interface. For pure Erlang intra-process messaging, built-in methods are faster, but enm excels in scenarios requiring nanomsg protocols or cross-language interoperability.

Question 7

How to set socket options in enm?

Accepted Answer

Set options when opening a socket using the arity 1 protocol functions with a list like [{active,true}, {mode,binary}], or modify them later via setopts/2. Options include active modes, data modes, and protocol-specific settings such as subscribe for sub sockets or deadline for surveyor sockets, detailed in the README.

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