Concurrency
Elixir Tasks
Using Tasks
Elixir Tasks run async operations with Task.async and await.
Introduction to Elixir Tasks
Elixir Tasks provide a convenient abstraction for running concurrent processes. These are particularly useful when you want to perform computations in parallel or need to carry out non-blocking operations. Tasks are a fundamental part of Elixir's concurrency model, allowing asynchronous execution with the help of Task.async and Task.await.
Creating and Managing Tasks
To create a Task in Elixir, use the Task.async/1 function, which accepts a function or a module-function-args tuple. This function will spawn a new process to execute the given task.
Once the task is created, you can either wait for it to complete using Task.await/1 or handle it asynchronously.
Handling Task Timeouts
By default, Task.await/1 waits for 5000 milliseconds (5 seconds) before timing out. You can specify a custom timeout duration by passing a second argument to Task.await/2. If the task takes longer than the specified duration, an error will be raised.
Task Supervision
Tasks can be supervised to ensure fault tolerance. By integrating tasks within a supervision tree, you can automatically restart them if they crash, leveraging Elixir's robust fault tolerance capabilities.
Using Task.async_stream for Multiple Tasks
To handle multiple tasks concurrently, use Task.async_stream/3. This function processes a collection of tasks asynchronously and returns their results as they complete. It is ideal for I/O-bound operations where the order of completion doesn't matter.
Best Practices for Using Tasks
- Use tasks for operations that are independent and can run concurrently without blocking.
- Always handle potential errors and timeouts when awaiting task results.
- Consider using a supervision tree for critical tasks to ensure reliability and fault tolerance.
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