Skip to content

Commit

Permalink
Explain how to use Ranch with a gen_server in the guide
Browse files Browse the repository at this point in the history
  • Loading branch information
essen committed Jan 17, 2013
1 parent 81757b2 commit 5ddd20e
Show file tree
Hide file tree
Showing 2 changed files with 61 additions and 0 deletions.
60 changes: 60 additions & 0 deletions guide/protocols.md
Expand Up @@ -59,3 +59,63 @@ loop(Socket, Transport) ->
ok = Transport:close(Socket)
end.
```

Using gen_server
----------------

Special processes like the ones that use the `gen_server` or `gen_fsm`
behaviours have the particularity of having their `start_link` call not
return until the `init` function returns. This is problematic, because
you won't be able to call `ranch:accept_ack/1` from the `init` callback
as this would cause a deadlock to happen.

There are two ways of solving this problem.

The first, and probably the most elegant one, is to make use of the
`gen_server:enter_loop/3` function. It allows you to start your process
normally (although it must be started with `proc_lib` like all special
processes), then perform any needed operations before falling back into
the normal `gen_server` execution loop.

``` erlang
-module(my_protocol).
-behaviour(gen_server).
-behaviour(ranch_protocol).

-export([start_link/4]).
-export([init/1]).
%% Exports of other gen_server callbacks here.

start_link(ListenerPid, Socket, Transport, Opts) ->
proc_lib:start_link(?MODULE, [[ListenerPid, Socket, Transport, Opts]]).

init(ListenerPid, Socket, Transport, _Opts = []) ->
ok = proc_lib:init_ack({ok, self()}),
%% Perform any required state initialization here.
ok = ranch:accept_ack(ListenerPid),
ok = Transport:setopts(Socket, [{active, once}]),
gen_server:enter_loop(?MODULE, [], {state, Socket, Transport}).

%% Other gen_server callbacks here.
```

The second method involves triggering a timeout just after `gen_server:init`
ends. If you return a timeout value of `0` then the `gen_server` will call
`handle_info(timeout, _, _)` right away.

``` erlang
-module(my_protocol).
-behaviour(gen_server).
-behaviour(ranch_protocol).

%% Exports go here.

init([ListenerPid, Socket, Transport]) ->
{ok, {state, ListenerPid, Socket, Transport}, 0}.

handle_info(timeout, State={state, ListenerPid, Socket, Transport}) ->
ok = ranch:accept_ack(ListenerPid),
ok = Transport:setopts(Socket, [{active, once}]),
{noreply, State};
%% ...
```
1 change: 1 addition & 0 deletions guide/toc.md
Expand Up @@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ Ranch User Guide
* [Protocols](protocols.md)
* Purpose
* Writing a protocol handler
* Using gen_server
* [SSL client authentication](ssl_auth.md)
* Purpose
* Obtaining client certificates
Expand Down

0 comments on commit 5ddd20e

Please sign in to comment.