Tasks
Tasks[edit]
Elixir is a powerful and versatile programming language that allows developers to efficiently handle concurrent tasks. In Elixir, tasks are lightweight units of computation that can be executed concurrently to improve overall application performance. This page provides an overview of how to work with tasks in Elixir.
Creating a Task[edit]
A task in Elixir can be created using the `Task.start/1` function. This function takes a single argument, which is a function representing the task's execution code. Once started, the task will run concurrently with other tasks or processes.
Here's an example of creating a simple task:
```elixir task = Task.start(fn ->
# Task execution code goes here
end) ```
Task Supervision[edit]
Tasks can also be supervised to ensure fault tolerance and restartability. Task supervision guarantees that if a task fails, it can be automatically restarted without affecting the rest of the system. The `Task.Supervisor` module provides utilities for supervising tasks.
Here's an example of creating a supervised task:
```elixir {:ok, pid} = Task.Supervisor.start_child(MyApp.TaskSupervisor, fn ->
# Task execution code goes here
end) ```
Task Synchronization[edit]
In some cases, it's necessary to synchronize tasks to ensure they execute in a specific order. Elixir provides various mechanisms for task synchronization, such as `Task.await/2` and `Task.yield/2`.
Here's an example of synchronizing tasks using `Task.await/2`:
```elixir task1 = Task.start(fn ->
# Task 1 execution code goes here
end)
task2 = Task.start(fn ->
# Task 2 execution code goes here
end)
- ok = Task.await(task1)
- ok = Task.await(task2)
```
Handling Task Results[edit]
Tasks can return results once they have completed their execution. To handle task results, the `Task.await/1` function can be used. This function blocks the calling process until the task has finished and returns the result.
Here's an example of handling task results:
```elixir task = Task.start(fn ->
# Task execution code goes here "Task completed successfully"
end)
result = Task.await(task)
- Do something with the result
```
Conclusion[edit]
Tasks in Elixir provide developers with a powerful tool for managing concurrent computations. By using tasks, you can effectively leverage the power of concurrency and improve the performance of your Elixir applications.
For more information on tasks in Elixir, refer to the following articles on our wiki:
Please note that the articles mentioned above might not exist yet, but they would be valuable additions to our Elixir wiki. Feel free to contribute and create them if they don't exist already!