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man pages section 3: Extended Library Functions, Volume 1

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Updated: Wednesday, July 27, 2022
 
 

erl_prim_loader (3erl)

Name

erl_prim_loader - level Erlang loader.

Synopsis

Please see following description for synopsis

Description

erl_prim_loader(3)         Erlang Module Definition         erl_prim_loader(3)



NAME
       erl_prim_loader - Low-level Erlang loader.

DESCRIPTION
       This  module  is  used  to load all Erlang modules into the system. The
       start script is also fetched with this low-level loader.

       erl_prim_loader knows about the environment and how to fetch modules.

       Command-line flag -loader Loader can be used to choose the method  used
       by erl_prim_loader. Two Loader methods are supported by the Erlang run-
       time system: efile and inet.

EXPORTS
       get_file(Filename) -> {ok, Bin, FullName} | error

              Types:

                 Filename = atom() | string()
                 Bin = binary()
                 FullName = string()

              Fetches a file using the low-level loader. Filename is either an
              absolute  filename  or  only  the name of the file, for example,
              "lists.beam". If an internal path is set  to  the  loader,  this
              path  is used to find the file. FullName is the complete name of
              the fetched file. Bin is the contents of the file as a binary.

              Filename can also be a file in an archive,  for  example,  $OTP-
              ROOT/lib/mnesia-4.4.7.ez/mnesia-4.4.7/ebin/mnesia.beam.      For
              information about archive files, see code(3).

       get_path() -> {ok, Path}

              Types:

                 Path = [Dir :: string()]

              Gets the path set in the loader. The path is set by the  init(3)
              process according to information found in the start script.

       list_dir(Dir) -> {ok, Filenames} | error

              Types:

                 Dir = string()
                 Filenames = [Filename :: string()]

              Lists  all  the files in a directory. Returns {ok, Filenames} if
              successful, otherwise error. Filenames is a list of the names of
              all the files in the directory. The names are not sorted.

              Dir  can  also  be a directory in an archive, for example, $OTP-
              ROOT/lib/mnesia-4.4.7.ez/mnesia-4.4.7/ebin.   For    information
              about archive files, see code(3).

       read_file_info(Filename) -> {ok, FileInfo} | error

              Types:

                 Filename = string()
                 FileInfo = file:file_info()

              Retrieves  information  about  a file. Returns {ok, FileInfo} if
              successful, otherwise error. FileInfo  is  a  record  file_info,
              defined in the Kernel include file file.hrl. Include the follow-
              ing directive in the module from which the function is called:

              -include_lib("kernel/include/file.hrl").

              For more information about the record file_info, see file(3).

              Filename can also be a file in an archive,  for  example,  $OTP-
              ROOT/lib/mnesia-4.4.7.ez/mnesia-4.4.7/ebin/mnesia.  For informa-
              tion about archive files, see code(3).

       read_link_info(Filename) -> {ok, FileInfo} | error

              Types:

                 Filename = string()
                 FileInfo = file:file_info()

              Works like read_file_info/1 except that if Filename  is  a  sym-
              bolic  link,  information  about  the  link  is  returned in the
              file_info record and the type field of the record is set to sym-
              link.

              If  Filename  is  not  a  symbolic  link,  this function returns
              exactly the same result as read_file_info/1. On  platforms  that
              do  not  support symbolic links, this function is always equiva-
              lent to read_file_info/1.

       set_path(Path) -> ok

              Types:

                 Path = [Dir :: string()]

              Sets the path of the loader if init(3) interprets a path command
              in the start script.

COMMAND-LINE FLAGS
       The erl_prim_loader module interprets the following command-line flags:

         -loader Loader:
           Specifies  the  name  of the loader used by erl_prim_loader. Loader
           can be efile (use the local file system) or inet  (load  using  the
           boot_server on another Erlang node).

           If flag -loader is omitted, it defaults to efile.

         -loader_debug:
           Makes  the  efile  loader write some debug information, such as the
           reason for failures, while it handles files.

         -hosts Hosts:
           Specifies which other Erlang nodes the inet loader  can  use.  This
           flag  is  mandatory  if flag -loader inet is present. On each host,
           there must be on Erlang node  with  the  erl_boot_server(3),  which
           handles  the  load requests. Hosts is a list of IP addresses (host-
           names are not acceptable).

         -setcookie Cookie:
           Specifies the cookie of the Erlang runtime  system.  This  flag  is
           mandatory if flag -loader inet is present.

SEE ALSO
       init(3), erl_boot_server(3)



Ericsson AB                        erts 12.2                erl_prim_loader(3)