An Overview of the Broadway Library in Elixir

Broadway is a mini-framework built on the GenStage library aimed at improving data processing in Elixir applications. It addresses common challenges developers face, such as handling back-pressure, acknowledgements, batching, and fault tolerance. The library evolved over several years in response to the recognition of recurring problems in data processing systems. Key features include automatic acknowledgements of data processing, robust error handling, built-in testing capabilities, and a graceful shutdown mechanism. The article also offers a basic example of implementing a Broadway application, highlighting the roles of producers and consumers, and showcases the library's batching capabilities through a simple Fizz Buzz example.