Ocamlnet 4 Reference Manual : Netmcore_process

# Module Netmcore_process

    module Netmcore_process: sig .. end

Statically typed processes

This module provides a slightly higher-level view on processes, but is also a bit more restricted than the primitives in `Netmcore`.

Please read `Netmcore_basics` for an introduction into using this module. There is also `Netmcore_tut` with more advanced techniques.

    type 'a fork_point

A fork point can start a new process with argument `'a`

    type 'b join_point

A join point can wait until a process finishes with a result `'b`

    val def_process : ('a -> 'b) -> 'a fork_point * 'b join_point

`let (fp,jp) = def_process proc`: Defines a process (which must happen in the master process), so that:

- `let pid = start fp arg`: Starts the new process and passes the argument `arg` to it. The process runs `proc arg` which will finally result in a value `r`
- `let r_opt = join jp pid`: Waits until the process identified by `pid` finishes, and returns the result as `r_opt = Some r`. On error, it returns `None`.

`def_process` should be called at module initialization time before any process is started. This interface is not designed for calling `def_process` later.

    val start : ?inherit_resources:Netmcore.inherit_request ->
           'a fork_point -> 'a -> Netmcore.process_id

`let pid = start fp arg`: Starts a new process at the fork point `fp` with argument `arg`. This means that the process is forked from the master process, and that the value of `arg` is sent to it using `Marshal`. The returned process ID is Netmulticore's own ID and not to be confused with the ID assigned by the operating system.

Option `inherit_resources`: Certain resources are only accessible by the process when they are inherited to it. This is the case for ``Posix_shm_preallocated`. This can be set to ``All` to inherit all inheritable resources, or to ``Resources l` to only inherit the resources of `l`. By default, no resources are inherited.

    val join : 'b join_point -> Netmcore.process_id -> 'b option

`let r_opt = join jp pid`: Waits until the process `pid` finishes, and uses the join point `jp` to extract the result. The result is returned as `Some r` on success, and `None` on error. Result values are transmitted from the joining process to this function using `Marshal`. Errors include uncaught exceptions as well as unexpected process termination (`exit`, signal).

If the process referenced by `pid` is not an instance that belongs to `jp`, the function will fail.

This function must not be called from the master process (which is not allowed to block until a result is available).

    val join_nowait : 'b join_point -> Netmcore.process_id -> 'b option

Like `join`, but it is not waited for the termination of the process. If the process is not yet done, this function returns `None`. It also returns `None` if the process terminated with an error or did not set a result value for other reasons.

Unlike `join`, this function can be called in the master process.

    val release_fork_point : 'a fork_point -> unit

Releases a fork point so it is deleted from the internal resource table.

    val release_join_point : 'b join_point -> unit

Releases a join point so it is deleted from the internal resource table.