diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'erts/doc/src/erl_driver.xml')
| -rw-r--r-- | erts/doc/src/erl_driver.xml | 242 |
1 files changed, 206 insertions, 36 deletions
diff --git a/erts/doc/src/erl_driver.xml b/erts/doc/src/erl_driver.xml index 187c263b60..13f42a74a7 100644 --- a/erts/doc/src/erl_driver.xml +++ b/erts/doc/src/erl_driver.xml @@ -34,6 +34,32 @@ <lib>erl_driver</lib> <libsummary>API functions for an Erlang driver</libsummary> <description> + <p>An Erlang driver is a library containing a set of native driver + callback functions that the Erlang VM calls when certain + events occur. There may be multiple instances of a driver, each + instance is associated with an Erlang port.</p> + <marker id="WARNING"/> + <warning><p><em>Use this functionality with extreme care!</em></p> + <p>A driver callback is executed as a direct extension of the + native code of the VM. Execution is not made in a safe environment. + The VM can <em>not</em> provide the same services as provided when + executing Erlang code, such as preemptive scheduling or memory + protection. If the driver callback function doesn't behave well, + the whole VM will misbehave.</p> + <list> + <item><p>A driver callback that crash will crash the whole VM.</p></item> + <item><p>An erroneously implemented driver callback might cause + a VM internal state inconsistency which may cause a crash of the VM, + or miscellaneous misbehaviors of the VM at any point after the call + to the driver callback.</p></item> + <item><p>A driver callback that do <seealso marker="#lengthy_work">lengthy + work</seealso> before returning will degrade responsiveness of the VM, + and may cause miscellaneous strange behaviors. Such strange behaviors + include, but are not limited to, extreme memory usage, and bad load + balancing between schedulers. Strange behaviors that might occur due + to lengthy work may also vary between OTP releases.</p></item> + </list> + </warning> <p>As of erts version 5.5.3 the driver interface has been extended (see <seealso marker="driver_entry#extended_marker">extended marker</seealso>). The extended interface introduce @@ -53,16 +79,12 @@ <p>The driver calls back to the emulator, using the API functions declared in <c>erl_driver.h</c>. They are used for outputting data from the driver, using timers, etc.</p> - <p>A driver is a library with a set of function that the emulator - calls, in response to Erlang functions and message - sending. There may be multiple instances of a driver, each - instance is connected to an Erlang port. Every port has a port - owner process. Communication with the port is normally done - through the port owner process.</p> - <p>Most of the functions take the <c>port</c> handle as an - argument. This identifies the driver instance. Note that this - port handle must be stored by the driver, it is not given when - the driver is called from the emulator (see + <p>Each driver instance is associated with a port. Every port + has a port owner process. Communication with the port is normally + done through the port owner process. Most of the functions take + the <c>port</c> handle as an argument. This identifies the driver + instance. Note that this port handle must be stored by the driver, + it is not given when the driver is called from the emulator (see <seealso marker="driver_entry#emulator">driver_entry</seealso>).</p> <p>Some of the functions take a parameter of type <c>ErlDrvBinary</c>, a driver binary. It should be both @@ -123,12 +145,35 @@ different threads. This, however, is not a problem for any function in this API, since the emulator has control over these threads.</p> - <note> - <p>Functions not explicitly documented as thread-safe are - <em>not</em> thread-safe. Also note that some functions + <warning> + <p>Functions not explicitly documented as thread safe are + <em>not</em> thread safe. Also note that some functions are <em>only</em> thread safe when used in a runtime system with SMP support.</p> - </note> + <p>A function not explicitly documented as thread safe may at + some point in time have a thread safe implementation in the + runtime system. Such an implementation may however change to + a thread <em>unsafe</em> implementation at any time <em>without + any notice</em> at all. + </p> + <p><em>Only use functions explicitly documented as thread safe + from arbitrary threads.</em></p> + </warning> + <p><marker id="lengthy_work"/> + As mentioned in the <seealso marker="#WARNING">warning</seealso> text at + the beginning of this document it is of vital importance that a driver callback + does return relatively fast. It is hard to give an exact maximum amount + of time that a driver callback is allowed to work, but as a rule of thumb + a well behaving driver callback should return before a millisecond has + passed. This can be achieved using different approaches. + If you have full control over the code that are to execute in the driver + callback, the best approach is to divide the work into multiple chunks of + work and trigger multiple calls to the + <seealso marker="driver_entry#timeout">timeout callback</seealso> using + zero timeouts. This might, however, not always be possible, e.g. when + calling third party libraries. In this case you typically want to dispatch + the work to another thread. Information about thread primitives can be + found below.</p> </description> <section> @@ -1492,16 +1537,81 @@ typedef struct ErlIOVec { </desc> </func> <func> + <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>erl_drv_busy_msgq_limits(ErlDrvPort port, ErlDrvSizeT *low, ErlDrvSizeT *high)</nametext></name> + <fsummary>Set and get limits for busy port message queue</fsummary> + <desc> + <marker id="erl_drv_busy_msgq_limits"></marker> + <p>Sets and gets limits that will be used for controling the + busy state of the port message queue.</p> + <p>The port message queue will be set into a busy + state when the amount of command data queued on the + message queue reaches the <c>high</c> limit. The port + message queue will be set into a not busy state when the + amount of command data queued on the message queue falls + below the <c>low</c> limit. Command data is in this + context data passed to the port using either + <c>Port ! {Owner, {command, Data}}</c>, or + <c>port_command/[2,3]</c>. Note that these limits + only concerns command data that have not yet reached the + port. The <seealso marker="#set_busy_port">busy port</seealso> + feature can be used for data that has reached the port.</p> + + <p>Valid limits are values in the range + <c>[ERL_DRV_BUSY_MSGQ_LIM_MIN, ERL_DRV_BUSY_MSGQ_LIM_MAX]</c>. + Limits will be automatically adjusted to be sane. That is, + the system will adjust values so that the low limit used is + lower or equal to the high limit used. By default the high + limit will be 8 kB and the low limit will be 4 kB.</p> + + <p>By passing a pointer to an integer variable containing + the value <c>ERL_DRV_BUSY_MSGQ_READ_ONLY</c>, currently used + limit will be read and written back to the integer variable. + A new limit can be set by passing a pointer to an integer + variable containing a valid limit. The passed value will be + written to the internal limit. The internal limit will then + be adjusted. After this the adjusted limit will be written + back to the integer variable from which the new value was + read. Values are in bytes.</p> + + <p>The busy message queue feature can be disabled either + by setting the <c>ERL_DRV_FLAG_NO_BUSY_MSGQ</c> + <seealso marker="driver_entry#driver_flags">driver flag</seealso> + in the <seealso marker="driver_entry">driver_entry</seealso> + used by the driver, or by calling this function with + <c>ERL_DRV_BUSY_MSGQ_DISABLED</c> as a limit (either low or + high). When this feature has been disabled it cannot be + enabled again. When reading the limits both of them + will be <c>ERL_DRV_BUSY_MSGQ_DISABLED</c>, if this + feature has been disabled.</p> + + <p>Processes sending command data to the port will be suspended + if either the port is busy or if the port message queue is + busy. Suspended processes will be resumed when neither the + port is busy, nor the port message queue is busy.</p> + + <p>For information about busy port functionality + see the documentation of the + <seealso marker="#set_busy_port">set_busy_port()</seealso> + function.</p> + </desc> + </func> + <func> <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>set_busy_port(ErlDrvPort port, int on)</nametext></name> <fsummary>Signal or unsignal port as busy</fsummary> <desc> <marker id="set_busy_port"></marker> - <p>This function set and resets the busy status of the port. If - <c>on</c> is 1, the port is set to busy, if it's 0 the port - is set to not busy.</p> - <p>When the port is busy, sending to it with <c>Port ! Data</c> - or <c>port_command/2</c>, will block the port owner process, - until the port is signaled as not busy.</p> + <p>This function set and unset the busy state of the port. If + <c>on</c> is non-zero, the port is set to busy, if it's zero the port + is set to not busy. You typically want to combine + this feature with the <seealso marker="#erl_drv_busy_msgq_limits">busy + port message queue</seealso> functionality.</p> + <p>Processes sending command data to the port will be suspended + if either the port is busy or if the port message queue + is busy. Suspended processes will be resumed when neither the + port is busy, nor the port message queue is busy. Command data + is in this context data passed to the port using either + <c>Port ! {Owner, {command, Data}}</c>, or + <c>port_command/[2,3]</c>.</p> <p>If the <seealso marker="driver_entry#driver_flags"><![CDATA[ERL_DRV_FLAG_SOFT_BUSY]]></seealso> has been set in the @@ -1510,6 +1620,10 @@ typedef struct ErlIOVec { <seealso marker="erlang#port_command/3">port_command(Port, Data, [force])</seealso> even though the driver has signaled that it is busy. </p> + <p>For information about busy port message queue functionality + see the documentation of the + <seealso marker="#erl_drv_busy_msgq_limits">erl_drv_busy_msgq_limits()</seealso> + function.</p> </desc> </func> <func> @@ -1570,6 +1684,8 @@ typedef struct ErlIOVec { <desc> <marker id="driver_connected"></marker> <p>This function returns the port owner process.</p> + <p>Note that this function is <em>not</em> thread-safe, not + even when the emulator with SMP support is used.</p> </desc> </func> <func> @@ -1597,22 +1713,32 @@ typedef struct ErlIOVec { <tag><seealso marker="driver_entry#call">call</seealso></tag> <item>Called from <c>erlang:port_call/3</c></item> </taglist> + <p>Note that this function is <em>not</em> thread-safe, not + even when the emulator with SMP support is used.</p> </desc> </func> <func> - <name><ret>int</ret><nametext>driver_output_term(ErlDrvPort port, ErlDrvTermData* term, int n)</nametext></name> + <name><ret>int</ret><nametext>erl_drv_output_term(ErlDrvTermData port, ErlDrvTermData* term, int n)</nametext></name> <fsummary>Send term data from driver to port owner</fsummary> <desc> - <marker id="driver_output_term"></marker> + <marker id="erl_drv_output_term"></marker> <p>This functions sends data in the special driver term - format. This is a fast way to deliver term data from a - driver. It also needs no binary conversion, so the port - owner process receives data as normal Erlang terms.</p> + format to the port owner process. This is a fast way to + deliver term data from a driver. It also needs no binary + conversion, so the port owner process receives data as + normal Erlang terms. The + <seealso marker="#erl_drv_send_term">erl_drv_send_term()</seealso> + functions can be used for sending to any arbitrary process + on the local node.</p> + <note><p>Note that the <c>port</c> parameter is <em>not</em> + an ordinary port handle, but a port handle converted using + <c>driver_mk_port()</c>.</p></note> <p>The <c>term</c> parameter points to an array of <c>ErlDrvTermData</c>, with <c>n</c> elements. This array contains terms described in the driver term format. Every term consists of one to four elements in the array. The - term first has a term type, and then arguments.</p> + term first has a term type, and then arguments. The + <c>port</c> parameter specifies the sending port.</p> <p>Tuple and lists (with the exception of strings, see below), are built in reverse polish notation, so that to build a tuple, the elements are given first, and then the tuple @@ -1664,17 +1790,17 @@ ERL_DRV_EXT2TERM char *buf, ErlDrvUInt len ErlDrvPort port = ... ErlDrvTermData spec[] = { ERL_DRV_ATOM, driver_mk_atom("tcp"), - ERL_DRV_PORT, driver_mk_port(port), + ERL_DRV_PORT, driver_mk_port(drvport), ERL_DRV_INT, 100, ERL_DRV_BINARY, bin, 50, 0, ERL_DRV_LIST, 2, ERL_DRV_TUPLE, 3, }; - driver_output_term(port, spec, sizeof(spec) / sizeof(spec[0])); + erl_drv_output_term(driver_mk_port(drvport), spec, sizeof(spec) / sizeof(spec[0])); ]]> </code> <p>Where <c>bin</c> is a driver binary of length at least 50 - and <c>port</c> is a port handle. Note that the <c>ERL_DRV_LIST</c> + and <c>drvport</c> is a port handle. Note that the <c>ERL_DRV_LIST</c> comes after the elements of the list, likewise the <c>ERL_DRV_TUPLE</c>.</p> <p>The term <c>ERL_DRV_STRING_CONS</c> is a way to construct @@ -1695,7 +1821,7 @@ ERL_DRV_EXT2TERM char *buf, ErlDrvUInt len ERL_DRV_NIL, ERL_DRV_LIST, 4 }; - driver_output_term(port, spec, sizeof(spec) / sizeof(spec[0])); + erl_drv_output_term(driver_mk_port(drvport), spec, sizeof(spec) / sizeof(spec[0])); ]]></code> <p></p> <code type="none"><![CDATA[ @@ -1705,7 +1831,7 @@ ERL_DRV_EXT2TERM char *buf, ErlDrvUInt len ERL_DRV_STRING_CONS, (ErlDrvTermData)"123", 3, ERL_DRV_STRING_CONS, (ErlDrvTermData)"abc", 3, }; - driver_output_term(port, spec, sizeof(spec) / sizeof(spec[0])); + erl_drv_output_term(driver_mk_port(drvport), spec, sizeof(spec) / sizeof(spec[0])); ]]></code> <p>The <c>ERL_DRV_EXT2TERM</c> term type is used for passing a term encoded with the @@ -1725,7 +1851,7 @@ ERL_DRV_EXT2TERM char *buf, ErlDrvUInt len ERL_DRV_EXT2TERM, (ErlDrvTermData) binp->orig_bytes, binp->orig_size ERL_DRV_TUPLE, 2, }; - driver_output_term(port, spec, sizeof(spec) / sizeof(spec[0])); + erl_drv_output_term(driver_mk_port(drvport), spec, sizeof(spec) / sizeof(spec[0])); ]]></code> <p>If you want to pass a binary and don't already have the content of the binary in an <c>ErlDrvBinary</c>, you can benefit from using @@ -1741,6 +1867,22 @@ ERL_DRV_EXT2TERM char *buf, ErlDrvUInt len <c>ERL_DRV_EXT2TERM</c> term types were introduced in the 5.6 version of erts. </p> + <p>This function is only thread-safe when the emulator with SMP + support is used.</p> + </desc> + </func> + <func> + <name><ret>int</ret><nametext>driver_output_term(ErlDrvPort port, ErlDrvTermData* term, int n)</nametext></name> + <fsummary>Send term data from driver to port owner</fsummary> + <desc> + <marker id="driver_output_term"></marker> + <warning><p><c>driver_output_term()</c> is deferred and will + be removed in the OTP-R17 release. Use + <seealso marker="#erl_drv_send_term">erl_drv_output_term()</seealso> + instead.</p> + </warning> + <p>The parameters <c>term</c> and <c>n</c> do the same thing + as in <seealso marker="#erl_drv_output_term">erl_drv_output_term()</seealso>.</p> <p>Note that this function is <em>not</em> thread-safe, not even when the emulator with SMP support is used.</p> </desc> @@ -1754,6 +1896,8 @@ ERL_DRV_EXT2TERM char *buf, ErlDrvUInt len <c>string</c>. The atom is created and won't change, so the return value may be saved and reused, which is faster than looking up the atom several times.</p> + <p>Note that this function is <em>not</em> thread-safe, not + even when the emulator with SMP support is used.</p> </desc> </func> <func> @@ -1762,20 +1906,46 @@ ERL_DRV_EXT2TERM char *buf, ErlDrvUInt len <desc> <marker id="driver_mk_port"></marker> <p>This function converts a port handle to the erlang term - format, usable in the <c>driver_output_send</c> function.</p> + format, usable in the <seealso marker="#erl_drv_output_term">erl_drv_output_term()</seealso>, and <seealso marker="#erl_drv_send_term">erl_drv_send_term()</seealso> functions.</p> + <p>Note that this function is <em>not</em> thread-safe, not + even when the emulator with SMP support is used.</p> </desc> </func> <func> - <name><ret>int</ret><nametext>driver_send_term(ErlDrvPort port, ErlDrvTermData receiver, ErlDrvTermData* term, int n)</nametext></name> + <name><ret>int</ret><nametext>erl_drv_send_term(ErlDrvTermData port, ErlDrvTermData receiver, ErlDrvTermData* term, int n)</nametext></name> <fsummary>Send term data to other process than port owner process</fsummary> <desc> - <marker id="driver_send_term"></marker> + <marker id="erl_drv_send_term"></marker> <p>This function is the only way for a driver to send data to <em>other</em> processes than the port owner process. The <c>receiver</c> parameter specifies the process to receive the data.</p> + <note><p>Note that the <c>port</c> parameter is <em>not</em> + an ordinary port handle, but a port handle converted using + <c>driver_mk_port()</c>.</p></note> + <p>The parameters <c>port</c>, <c>term</c> and <c>n</c> do the same thing + as in <seealso marker="#erl_drv_output_term">erl_drv_output_term()</seealso>.</p> + <p>This function is only thread-safe when the emulator with SMP + support is used.</p> + </desc> + </func> + <func> + <name><ret>int</ret><nametext>driver_send_term(ErlDrvPort port, ErlDrvTermData receiver, ErlDrvTermData* term, int n)</nametext></name> + <fsummary>Send term data to other process than port owner process</fsummary> + <desc> + <marker id="driver_send_term"></marker> + <warning><p><c>driver_send_term()</c> is deferred and will + be removed in the OTP-R17 release. Use + <seealso marker="#erl_drv_send_term">erl_drv_send_term()</seealso> + instead.</p> + <p>Also note that parameters of <c>driver_send_term()</c> + cannot be properly checked by the runtime system when + executed by arbitrary threads. This may cause the + <c>driver_send_term()</c> function not to fail when + it should.</p> + </warning> <p>The parameters <c>term</c> and <c>n</c> do the same thing - as in <seealso marker="#driver_output_term">driver_output_term</seealso>.</p> + as in <seealso marker="#erl_drv_output_term">erl_drv_output_term()</seealso>.</p> <p>This function is only thread-safe when the emulator with SMP support is used.</p> </desc> |