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I've always felt the same way, but now that I'm reading the Erlang code in this codebase I don't see the issue. Erlang is a pleasant language to look at, and I

I've always felt the same way, but now that I'm reading the Erlang code in this codebase I don't see the issue. Erlang is a pleasant language to look at, and I wonder if all the hype I believed about Elixir being better maybe wasn't true after all

doomspork 1y ago
Elixir is only "better" because of the syntax and some of the developer experience. Anything good about Elixir is present in Erlang and likely originated there.
- arthurcolle 1y ago
  Erlang is strictly better in all ways for my use-case due to its purity, rigorous simplicity, and direct closeness to the BEAM VM. I also wrote a library 10 years ago to do python->elixir and back. https://github.com/stochastic-thread/snek.ex https://github.com/stochastic-thread/snek.ex When building foundational libraries, especially for large-scale distributed systems or agent-based architectures - I find Erlang’s minimalism, mature toolset (like `observer:start` for visual supervision trees), and battle-tested concurrency model invaluable. I also liked Prolog, so I guess if these preferences are strange, that explains them! That said, Elixir definitely has enhanced the developer experience significantly. The improved syntax, great macros, `mix`, Hex package management, and community-driven tooling are impressive and inviting for newcomers. Interoperability is excellent, so writing foundational libraries in Erlang makes them readily accessible to Elixir applications without hassle. A few examples highlighting Erlang’s advantages: * *Minimalism & Predictability*: Erlang's restricted syntax and clear semantics make large-scale codebases easier to maintain and reason about, crucial when debugging complex distributed agent interactions. * *Tooling & Debugging*: Tools like `observer:start`, built-in tracing with `dbg`, and mature profiling support give unparalleled visibility into running systems. * *Closer to BEAM*: By writing directly in Erlang, I have tighter control and deeper understanding of how my code interacts with BEAM’s scheduling, garbage collection, and process handling. Still—I love Elixir’s conveniences and often reach for it for web-facing layers, prototyping, or anything user-facing. Both languages complement each other well. And yes, given my project's name (`Agents.erl`), maybe Elixir needs to rename its `Agent` module now.
vereis 1y ago
elixir is only better imo because of better tooling, more libraries/bigger ecosystem, and macros give me macros and I'd be happy (not preprocessor stuff, not parse transforms)

doomspork 1y ago

Elixir is only "better" because of the syntax and some of the developer experience. Anything good about Elixir is present in Erlang and likely originated there.

arthurcolle 1y ago
Erlang is strictly better in all ways for my use-case due to its purity, rigorous simplicity, and direct closeness to the BEAM VM. I also wrote a library 10 years ago to do python->elixir and back. https://github.com/stochastic-thread/snek.ex https://github.com/stochastic-thread/snek.ex When building foundational libraries, especially for large-scale distributed systems or agent-based architectures - I find Erlang’s minimalism, mature toolset (like `observer:start` for visual supervision trees), and battle-tested concurrency model invaluable. I also liked Prolog, so I guess if these preferences are strange, that explains them! That said, Elixir definitely has enhanced the developer experience significantly. The improved syntax, great macros, `mix`, Hex package management, and community-driven tooling are impressive and inviting for newcomers. Interoperability is excellent, so writing foundational libraries in Erlang makes them readily accessible to Elixir applications without hassle. A few examples highlighting Erlang’s advantages: * *Minimalism & Predictability*: Erlang's restricted syntax and clear semantics make large-scale codebases easier to maintain and reason about, crucial when debugging complex distributed agent interactions. * *Tooling & Debugging*: Tools like `observer:start`, built-in tracing with `dbg`, and mature profiling support give unparalleled visibility into running systems. * *Closer to BEAM*: By writing directly in Erlang, I have tighter control and deeper understanding of how my code interacts with BEAM’s scheduling, garbage collection, and process handling. Still—I love Elixir’s conveniences and often reach for it for web-facing layers, prototyping, or anything user-facing. Both languages complement each other well. And yes, given my project's name (`Agents.erl`), maybe Elixir needs to rename its `Agent` module now.

vereis 1y ago

elixir is only better imo because of better tooling, more libraries/bigger ecosystem, and macros give me macros and I'd be happy (not preprocessor stuff, not parse transforms)