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Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:02:41 +0200
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From: "Johan Montelius" <johan...@kth.se>
Organization: KTH/ICT
Message-ID: <op.vi0l2rnwcuknpe@ice-9>
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User-Agent: Opera Mail/10.62 (Linux)
Subject: Re: [erlang-questions] ets vs list

While we're talking ets tables:

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to send table references across nodes?  
Today when you create a new tabel you get a table reference that is an  
integer. The table can only be accessed by processes in the same node and  
god know what will happen if you send the reference over to another node  
where there is another table registered under the same number.

Since tables have a mutable state they should be modeled as processess.  
When you create a table you get a process identifier. Locally on the node  
where the table was created all operations are done as usual i.e. direct  
access to the table without the overhead of sending messages. When you  
send the process identifier over to another node however, a process  
identifier is sent that refers to a proxy process on the originating node.

Using the functions in the ets module using a regular process identifier  
would result in messages being sent to that process and replies being  
received. Just like accessing a local ets table (slower and we have to  
have some error codes if the process is dead).

One could the also open up for a asynchronous access to the table:

    Ref = ets:lookup_and_send_me_the_reply(Table, Key),
    do_something(),
    receive
	{Ref, Value} ->

How's that :-)

  Johan


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