loop.erl

%% loop.erl - Test speed of message delivery across processes.
%%
%% Run this with:
%%     timer:tc(loop, loop_test, [100, 10000]).

-module(loop).

-export([loop_test/2]).


%% This is the main loop that each process runs.
%%
%% Basically just forward messages that are sent to this process to the NextPid,
%% decrementing a counter.
%%
%% When the counter reaches 0, stop forwarding, and send `ok` to the Parent
%% to notify it that we're done.
%%
have_fun(Parent, NextPid) ->
    receive
        {set_next, P} ->
            %% Change this process's `NextPid` to `P`.  We'll use this message
            %% to close the loop when we build our cycle of processes.
            have_fun(Parent, P);
        {msg, 0} ->
            %% We're done!
            Parent ! ok,
            have_fun(Parent, NextPid);
        {msg, N} ->
            %% Forward this message to the next process, decrementing N.
            NextPid ! {msg, N - 1},
            have_fun(Parent, NextPid)
    end.


%% Start a process.
start(Parent, NextPid) ->
    spawn(fun () ->
                  have_fun(Parent, NextPid)
          end).


%% Build a chain of N processes.
build_chain(N) ->
    Parent = self(),
    Last = start(Parent, Parent),
    build_chain(Parent, N - 1, {Last, Last}).

build_chain(Parent, 0, Pair) ->
    Pair;
build_chain(Parent, N, {Head, Tail}) ->
    build_chain(Parent, N - 1, {start(Parent, Head), Tail}).


loop_test(NProcs, NLaps) ->
    io:format("spawning processes...~n"),
    {First, Last} = build_chain(NProcs),
    %% Now close the loop by telling the last process
    %% to forward messages to the first.
    Last ! {set_next, First},
    io:format("starting test...~n"),
    First ! {msg, NLaps * NProcs},
    receive
        ok ->
            io:format("done!~n")
    end.