June 05, 2015

Understanding Elixir Tokenization and Parsing Using Erlang Tools

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Understanding Elixir Tokenization and Parsing Using Erlang Tools

Source: andrealeopardi.com

This article explores lexical analysis and parsing as applied within Elixir programming, specifically using the tools leex and yecc provided by Erlang. The author, Andrea Leopardi, presents an approachable guide to these concepts, emphasizing the practical aspect rather than the theory. The article first addresses misconceptions about the complexity of lexers and parsers as compared to manual string manipulation or regular expressions. Leopardi goes on to give a detailed walkthrough of creating a lexer with leex, explaining the syntax, rules, and how to write and compile a lexer file. After that, the article covers building a parser with yece, understanding grammar rules, defining terminals and non-terminals, as well as explaining rule creation and the conversion into Elixir lists. The final part of the article integrates these tools within an Elixir Mix project, detailing how Mix can conveniently manage the file compilation process. A small update notes the use of 'String.to_charlist/1' replacing the deprecated spelling 'String.to_char_list/1' as of Elixir 1.3. The author concludes by highlighting the ease of using Erlang from Elixir and urges readers to explore more advanced features and refer to the official documentation for more complex usage.

Understanding TCP Connections in Elixir Applications

Andrea Leopardi explains how to handle TCP connections in Elixir. He provides a detailed guide on using the :gen_tcp module to establish connections, send messages, and handle responses. He also discusses implementing a queuing system, handling errors, and using pooling libraries like poolboy.

Jun 19, 2015

Understanding the Internal Mechanics of StreamData, an Elixir Property Testing Library

Andrea Leopardi explains the mechanics behind StreamData, a property testing and data generation library for Elixir. He discusses the design of generators and shrinking techniques, and compares StreamData with other property-based testing libraries.

Aug 15, 2017

Managing Persistent Connections Using gen_statem in Elixir

Andrea Leopardi explores how to maintain persistent connections to external services using gen_statem, a behavior in Erlang and Elixir for building state machine processes. By leveraging gen_statem, processes can stay connected to the external services and handle events such as connection failures and client requests more efficiently.

Apr 14, 2019