I will get this backed out and the behaviours implemented against
ec_dictionary for gb_tress and dict while you work on the PropEr
stuff. Then in a day or two we can try running them against each
other. How does that sound?

On Thu, Mar 17, 2011 at 3:26 PM, Torben Hoffmann
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 17, 2011 at 20:19, Eric Merritt <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> > The behaviour should be just the behaviour_info/1 function for the time
>> > being.
>> >
>> > We use the specs in ec_dictionary as our guiding light for the
>> > implementation of the functions - simplified a bit to match the simple
>> > starting implementation.
>> >
>> > I suggest that we use a record defined in ec_dictionary.hrl for the
>> > common
>> > data structure between the different implementations.
>> >
>> > -record(dict_data, { mod, data  }).
>> >
>> > Where mod is the module implementing the ec_dictionary behaviour and
>> > data is
>> > the current value.
>> > With the record it will be easier to extend the functions later on.
>>
>> I am assuming that this will eventually be used by the abstraction
>> layer. Is there any reason for us to expose this to the
>> implementations? I can't think of a good reason for the
>> implementations to have knowledge of the abstractions structures (I
>> hope that makes sense).
>
> You are right - I just want to build the layers of abstraction gradually.
> When we are ready it will go away from the implementing modules.
>
>>
>> > I am okay with cloning your repo, but wouldn't it be just as easy (or
>> > easier) to make the current repo writable by me and work on separate
>> > branches?
>>
>> I would rather work between us until we got something publishable,
>> pulling from peer repos is the same as pulling from a central repo in
>> git ;). However, I am more then happy to open up the canonical if you
>> would like.
>
> Point taken - I will clone and then we take it from there.
>
> Cheers,
> Torben
>
>>
>> >
>> > I will start looking into how PropEr works - I am sure there are some
>> > subtle
>> > differences from QuickCheck that needs a loving hand before I can get it
>> > rolling...
>>
>> Sweet, When I get the chance I will back out the current abstraction
>> implementation until we are ready for that.
>>
>> > Cheers,
>> > Torben
>> >
>> > On Thu, Mar 17, 2011 at 16:30, Eric Merritt <[email protected]>
>> > wrote:
>> >>
>> >> I am moving this back to the dev list. I suspect it might be
>> >> interesting and useful for those folks.
>> >>
>> >> On Thu, Mar 17, 2011 at 3:47 AM, Torben Hoffmann
>> >> <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >> > Didn't get much done yesterday - my knee was hurting after my
>> >> > operation
>> >> > on
>> >> > it last Thursday.
>> >>
>> >> No worries, we aren't on a time line here and this is something I
>> >> would like to get right.
>> >>
>> >> > But I did get around to looking at some of your code, so I have a few
>> >> > questions/observations.
>> >>
>> >> Sweet, this is what I really wanted.
>> >>
>> >> >
>> >> > ec_implements puzzles me a bit. Unless I am misreading things it has
>> >> > a
>> >> > big
>> >> > overlap with how behaviours work in Erlang and I think it would be
>> >> > better to
>> >> > create a proper behaviour and avoid creating functions like
>> >> > has_all_callbacks/2.
>> >>
>> >> I agree, thats why I created ec_dictionary. I expect things to be
>> >> based around behaviours. The main reason the check functions are there
>> >> is just to give the callee the ability to verify that a module
>> >> implements a behaviour at runtime. This is just an optional
>> >> verification step. I suspect this is over-engineering on my part, any
>> >> time you implement something for other to use that you don't use
>> >> yourself its a bad smell. I do wish that Erlang had a simple call to
>> >> see if a module implemented a behaviour.
>> >>
>> >> > Since you are aiming at making ec_dictionary the behaviour then you
>> >> > get
>> >> > the
>> >> > has_all_callbacks/2 functionality for free when you put
>> >> > -behaviour(ec_dictonary) into the implementing module.
>> >>
>> >> This is true an compile time of the implementor, but on the 'user'
>> >> side there is no guarantee that the thing being passed to you
>> >> implements that behaviour.  We can probably drop that functionality
>> >> though. The errors if that is the case should be pretty obvious.
>> >>
>> >> > ec_assoc_list doesn't really leverage the behaviour code, which is
>> >> > fine
>> >> > for
>> >> > a first stab at it, but I think a more iterative approach to the
>> >> > creation of
>> >> > this library will keep us saner compared to go for the big thing in
>> >> > the
>> >> > first iteration.
>> >>
>> >> It existed mostly as a quick example I could through together. N
>> >>
>> >> >
>> >> > I would suggest that we start with a simplified ec_dictionary
>> >> > behaviour
>> >> > that
>> >> > merely defines the behaviour_info/1 function.
>> >> > Then we implement two different dictionary implementations, say lists
>> >> > and
>> >> > orddict, plus a temporary module to instantiate them. This without
>> >> > the
>> >> > abstract type info for starters.
>> >>
>> >> That seems reasonable to me. If nothing else it validates the
>> >> interface for dictionary we come up with.
>> >>
>> >> >
>> >> > Then we create a PropEr specification of how a dictionary should
>> >> > behave
>> >> > and
>> >> > test the hell out of our pathetic code!
>> >>
>> >> That sounds like a damn good idea to me. Once we get things along and
>> >> I understand PropEr I may add support for it in sinan, depends on how
>> >> useful it would be.
>> >>
>> >> >
>> >> > When that is in place we start working on putting real code into the
>> >> > behaviour and continuously re-run our specification after each little
>> >> > change.
>> >> >
>> >> > Then we can re-introduce the abstract typing and then we should be
>> >> > done.
>> >>
>> >> Except then we get to do the same thing for sets and a handful of
>> >> other types.  ;)
>> >>
>> >> >
>> >> > It might be a bit of a detour compared to the code base you have put
>> >> > in
>> >> > place, but I think that it will be easier for us to get a good PropEr
>> >> > specification that works by working on simple implementations before
>> >> > we
>> >> > start throwing in the behaviour code. It might be that we should
>> >> > focus
>> >> > on
>> >> > one dictionary implementation first and get a specification that
>> >> > works
>> >> > before we start adding another implementation.
>> >> >
>> >> > I am a total chicken when it comes to these things, which is why I
>> >> > like
>> >> > to
>> >> > get a functional base in place very early and then improve it along
>> >> > the
>> >> > way.
>> >> > Especially with so many things on the table as we have here.
>> >> >
>> >> > Does this sound reasonable to you?
>> >>
>> >> It does. To get concrete. Lets start by defining the behaviour and the
>> >> PropEr spec then wrap gb_trees and dicts as or first set up
>> >> implementations. Assuming we did everything right both of our
>> >> implementations should pass the PropEr spec. I like this approach for
>> >> types in any case.
>> >>
>> >> What do you think?
>> >>
>> >> >
>> >> > If so I suggest we create a temporary github repo for the code and
>> >> > work
>> >> > it
>> >> > from there.
>> >>
>> >> I don't see a whole lot of need to create a new repo. Just clone
>> >> commons and we can easily work between us there. When we have it
>> >> worked out we can move it up to canonical pretty trivially.
>> >>
>> >> > Cheers,
>> >> > Torben
>> >> >
>> >> > On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 14:38, Eric Merritt <[email protected]>
>> >> > wrote:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Sweet man. Thats great news.  I am *very* interested in your opinion
>> >> >> of the code I sent out last night and I am very interested in
>> >> >> learning
>> >> >> PropEr as well.
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >> On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 4:00 AM, Torben Hoffmann
>> >> >> <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >> >> > Hi Eric,
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > I was trying to set up PropEr last night on my home machine, but
>> >> >> > since
>> >> >> > PropEr is based on rebar I had to go through a massive update of
>> >> >> > my
>> >> >> > tool
>> >> >> > chain. And I was behind on erlware so I ended up spending the
>> >> >> > entire
>> >> >> > night
>> >> >> > upgrading.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > I will get on with the code tonight!
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > Cheers,
>> >> >> > Torben
>> >> >> > --
>> >> >> > http://www.linkedin.com/in/torbenhoffmann
>> >> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > --
>> >> > http://www.linkedin.com/in/torbenhoffmann
>> >> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > http://www.linkedin.com/in/torbenhoffmann
>> >
>
>
>
> --
> http://www.linkedin.com/in/torbenhoffmann
>

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