Introduction to Erlang
1. Overview
Erlang is a concurrent and functional programming language developed by Ericsson in the 1980s. It
was designed to support distributed, fault-tolerant, and real-time systems, making it ideal for
applications requiring high availability and scalability. Erlang is widely used in telecommunications,
banking, e-commerce, and more.
2. Key Features
2.1 Concurrency and Fault Tolerance
• Lightweight Processes: Erlang supports millions of lightweight processes, enabling massive
concurrency.
• No Shared Memory: Processes communicate via message passing, eliminating the need for
locks and minimizing complexity.
• Built-in Fault Tolerance: Erlang's design prioritizes recovery from errors rather than
prevention, using robust fault-tolerant mechanisms.
2.2 Functional Programming
• Pure Functions: Erlang emphasizes pure functions, which are deterministic and side-effect-
free.
• Immutability: Data in Erlang is immutable, meaning it cannot be modified after creation.
• Pattern Matching: A powerful feature for matching data structures and extracting values.
3. Erlang Virtual Machine (BEAM)
The BEAM is the virtual machine that runs Erlang code. It is designed for efficiency, supporting
massive concurrency and high availability. BEAM enables hot code swapping, allowing systems to be
updated without downtime.
4. Syntax Basics
Hello World Example:
erlang
Copy code
-module(hello).
-export([hello_world/0]).
hello_world() ->
io:format("Hello, world!~n").
Key Points:
• Modules and Functions: Erlang programs are structured as modules containing functions.
• Case-Sensitive: Erlang's syntax distinguishes between uppercase and lowercase.
• Atoms: Constants in Erlang, written with a leading lowercase letter.
5. Concurrency Model
Erlang employs the actor model, where processes act as independent actors that communicate
through message passing. This model, combined with lightweight processes and preemptive
scheduling, allows Erlang systems to handle high concurrency efficiently.
6. Fault Tolerance
6.1 Let It Crash Philosophy
Erlang's design encourages letting processes crash when they encounter errors, focusing on recovery.
Supervisors monitor processes and apply predefined restart strategies.
6.2 Hot Code Swapping
Erlang supports updating running code without stopping the system, ensuring continuous operation
even during upgrades.
7. Ecosystem and Tools
7.1 Erlang/OTP
Erlang/OTP (Open Telecom Platform) is a set of libraries and tools that enhance Erlang's capabilities.
It includes components like Mnesia (a distributed database) and the OTP framework for building
applications.
7.2 Popular Frameworks
• Cowboy: A lightweight web server.
• RabbitMQ: A widely used message broker.
8. Applications and Use Cases
Erlang has been successfully used in various domains, including:
• Telecommunications: Ericsson's AXD301 switch, handling high traffic loads.
• Banking and Finance: Companies like T-Mobile and Klarna utilize Erlang for reliable systems.
• E-commerce: WhatsApp uses Erlang for real-time messaging.
9. Conclusion
Erlang is a robust choice for developing systems requiring high concurrency and fault tolerance. Its
mature ecosystem and proven track record in mission-critical applications make it a reliable option
for developers.
10. Further Reading and Resources
• Erlang Official Website
• Learn You Some Erlang for Great Good!
• Erlang Programming
