• Functional/declarative language --- woohoo -- unfortunately that makes it hard for mortals --- so -- tutorials:
  • Erlang tutorial for C/C++/Java programmers
  • Erlang Reference Manual
  • Pragmatic Programming book! we like those
  • Concurrent programming book (FREE: first part )
  • Erlang - Starting a set of cluster nodes
  • Interoperability Tutorial -- hooking Erlang up to other stuff

• Possible alternative to qmake program or distmake program
  • Functions
  • Pattern matching
  • Concurrency
    • Processes and Messages
    • Distributed systems
  • ODBC Database access

• Unix hooks?
  • Interoperability Tutorial
    • Ports look like exactly what we need: Erlang<-->Unix communication
  • More intimate connections via "C nodes"
    • erl_call? I don't quite know how this works but it looks promising
    • erl_interface (C interface)
    • epi (C++ interface)
    • py_interface (Python)

• Existing build tools written in Erlang...
  • make.erl ("Emakefiles"...)

• Problems...
  • It's supposed to be super-lightweight - will it be able to deal with heavy processes, e.g. xrate program?

Still can't help thinking qmake program or distmake program a safer bet for now, though I am starting to see what Chris is on about

Mitch Skinner added this link: port howto (illustrates difficulties of making Erlang talk fluently to the outside world)

-- IanHolmes - 04 Mar 2007