Elixir Wizards

Latest Episodes:

Package Management in Elixir vs. JavaScript with Wojtek Mach & Amal Hussein Jan 04, 2024

Show notes

Today on Elixir Wizards, Wojtek Mach of HexPM and Amal Hussein, engineering leader and former NPM team member, join Owen Bickford to compare notes on package management in Elixir vs. JavaScript. This lively conversation covers everything from best practices for dependency management to API design, SemVer (semantic versioning), and the dark ages of web development before package managers existed.

The guests debate philosophical differences between the JavaScript and Elixir communities. They highlight the JavaScript ecosystem's maturity and identify potential areas of improvement, contrasted against Elixir’s emphasis on minimal dependencies. Both guests encourage engineers to publish packages, even small ones, as a learning opportunity.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Leveraging community packages rather than reinventing the wheel
Vetting packages carefully before adopting them as dependencies
Evaluating security, performance, and bundle size when assessing packages
Managing transitive dependencies pulled in by packages
Why semantic versioning is difficult to consistently enforce
Designing APIs with extensibility and backward compatibility in mind
Using tools like deprecations to avoid breaking changes in new releases
JavaScript’s preference for code reuse over minimization
The Elixir community’s minimal dependencies and avoidance of tech debt
Challenges in early package management, such as global dependency
Learning from tools like Ruby Gems and Bundler to improve experience
How log files provide visibility into dependency management actions
How lock files pin dependency versions for consistency
Publishing packages democratizes access and provides learning opportunities
Linting to enforce standards and prevent certain bugs
Primitive-focused packages provide flexibility over highly opinionated ones
Suggestions for improving documentation and guides
Benefits of collaboration between programming language communities

Links mentioned in this episode:

Node.js https://github.com/nodejs
npm JavaScript Package Manager https://github.com/npm
JS Party Podcast https://changelog.com/jsparty
Dashbit https://dashbit.co/
HexPM Package Manager for Erlang https://hex.pm/
HTTP Client for Elixir https://github.com/wojtekmach/req
Ecto Database-Wrapper for Elixir https://github.com/elixir-ecto (Not an ORM)
XState Actor-Based State Management for JavaScript https://xstate.js.org/docs/
Supply Chain Protection for JavaScript, Python, and Go https://socket.dev/
MixAudit https://github.com/mirego/mix_audit
NimbleTOTP Library for 2FA https://hexdocs.pm/nimble_totp/NimbleTOTP.html
Microsoft Azure https://github.com/Azure
Patch Package https://www.npmjs.com/package/patch-package
Ruby Bundler to manage Gem dependencies https://github.com/rubygems/bundler
npm-shrinkwrap https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v10/commands/npm-shrinkwrap
SemVer Semantic Versioner for NPM https://www.npmjs.com/package/semver
Spec-ulation Keynote - Rich Hickey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyLBGkS5ICk
Amal’s favorite Linter https://eslint.org/
Elixir Mint Functional HTTP Client for Elixir https://github.com/elixir-mint
Tailwind Open Source CSS Framework https://tailwindcss.com/
WebauthnComponents https://hex.pm/packages/webauthn_components

Special Guests: Amal Hussein and Wojtek Mach.

Communities in Tech with Camille Clayton & Scott Tolinski Dec 28, 2023

Show notes

Today on Elixir Wizards, Camille Clayton, Director of Women Who Code DC, and Scott Tolinski, Co-Host of the Syntax Podcast and Creator of Level Up Tutorials, join hosts Sundi Myint and Owen Bickford to discuss tech community spaces online and IRL.

They lay out the blueprint and best practices for fostering an inclusive environment where newcomers feel comfortable and welcome to join the discussion – whether it’s an online forum, YouTube comment sections, social media platform, local meetup, or conference.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Leaving a space open so newcomers feel empowered to join
Celebrating small wins to maintain excitement and build confidence
Why consistency is key to building a community with longevity
Creating and enforcing a code of conduct to define expectations
Finding respectful resolutions for addressing issues or complaints
The importance of amplifying underrepresented voices in tech
Creating content for all skill levels and adapting to a wider audience
How remote meetups broaden the possibilities for attendance and connection
Finding the right fit for mentorship
Delegation to strengthen community members’ sense of ownership
Navigating the new normal of local, in-person gatherings post-pandemic

Special Guests: Camille Clayton and Scott Tolinski.

Actor Model and Concurrent Processing in Elixir vs. Clojure and Ruby with Xiang Ji & Nathan Hessler Dec 21, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of Elixir Wizards, Xiang Ji and Nathan Hessler join hosts Sundi Myint and Owen Bickford to compare actor model implementation in Elixir, Ruby, and Clojure.

In Elixir, the actor model is core to how the BEAM VM works, with lightweight processes communicating asynchronously via message passing. GenServers provide a common abstraction for building actors, handling messages, and maintaining internal state. In Ruby, the actor model is represented through Ractors, which currently map to OS threads.

They discuss what we can learn by comparing models, understanding tradeoffs between VMs, languages, and concurrency primitives, and how this knowledge can help us choose the best tools for a project.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Difference between actor model and shared memory concurrency
Isolation of actor state and communication via message passing
BEAM VM design for high concurrency via lightweight processes
GenServers as common abstraction for building stateful actors
GenServer callbacks for message handling and state updates
Agents as similar process abstraction to GenServers
Shared state utilities like ETS for inter-process communication
Global Interpreter Lock in older Ruby VMs
Ractors as initial actor implementation in Ruby mapping to threads
Planned improvements to Ruby concurrency in 3.3
Akka implementation of actor model on JVM using thread scheduling
Limitations of shared memory concurrency on JVM
Project Loom bringing lightweight processes to JVM
Building GenServer behavior in Ruby using metaprogramming
CSP model of communication using channels in Clojure
Differences between BEAM scheduler and thread-based VMs
Comparing Elixir to academic languages like Haskell
Remote and theScore are hiring!

Links mentioned in this episode:

theScore is hiring! https://www.thescore.com/
Remote is also hiring! https://remote.com/
Comparing the Actor Model and CSP with Elixir and Clojure Blog Post by Xiang Ji
Comparing the Actor model & CSP concurrency with Elixir & Clojure Xiang Ji at ElixirConf EU 2022
Clojure Programming Language https://clojure.org/
Akka https://akka.io/
Go Programming Language https://github.com/golang/go
Proto Actor for Golang https://proto.actor/
RabbitMQ Open-Source Message Broker Software https://github.com/rabbitmq
JVM Project Loom https://github.com/openjdk/loom
Ractor for Ruby https://docs.ruby-lang.org/en/master/ractor_md.html
Seven Concurrency Models in Seven Weeks: When Threads Unravel by Paul Butcher
Seven Languages in Seven Weeks by Bruce A. Tate
GenServer https://hexdocs.pm/elixir/1.12/GenServer.html
ets https://www.erlang.org/doc/man/ets.html
Elixir in Action by Saša Jurić
Redis https://github.com/redis/redis
Designing for Scalability with Erlang/OTP by Francesco Cesarini & Steve Vinoski
Discord Blog: Using Rust to Scale Elixir for 11 Million Concurrent Users
Xiang's website https://xiangji.me/
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns

Special Guests: Nathan Hessler and Xiang Ji.

Static Code Analysis in Elixir vs. Ruby with René Föhring & Marc-André Lafortune Dec 14, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of Elixir Wizards, hosts Owen and Dan are joined by René Föhring, creator of Credo for Elixir, and Marc-André LaFortune, head maintainer of the RuboCop AST library for Ruby. They compare static code analysis in Ruby versus Elixir.

The conversation explores the intricacies and challenges inherent in static code analysis across object-oriented and functional programming paradigms, highlighting the unique characteristics of both Ruby and Elixir. Key topics of discussion include the ways these tools can enhance coding styles and empower developers, the delicate balance between providing guidance and enforcing rules, and the evolving future of code analysis in these languages.

Topics discussed in this episode:

The differences and applications between static and dynamic analysis
How Credo aims to offer flexible and educational guidance for Elixir developers
The complexities of method identification in Ruby and its impact on static analysis
Challenges posed by macros and dynamic code modification during compilation in Elixir
Reducing false positives in code analysis tools to minimize developer frustration
Promoting uniform coding practices through analysis tools
The significance of using analysis tools with clear, specific objectives
How coding standards can refine and improve coding styles over time
Building analysis tools and checks through an understanding of Abstract Syntax Trees (ASTs)
Potential advancements in the analysis of Phoenix templates and HTML in Elixir
Contrasting approaches to managing code and comments in Elixir and Ruby ASTs
The fine line between providing helpful guidance and imposing stylistic preferences
Heuristics in static analysis highlight inconsistencies without mandating style
The potential for more straightforward pattern matching in ASTs with future updates
The importance of a gradual implementation of tool updates to maintain backward compatibility
Creating tools that support and empower developers, rather than hinder them
How static analysis contributes to cleaner, more maintainable codebases
Potential future developments in the field of static code analysis
Practical applications of using linters like Credo and RuboCop in software development

Links mentioned in this episode:

Credo https://github.com/rrrene/credo
https://hexdocs.pm/credo/overview.html
Dogma: A code style linter for Elixir https://github.com/lpil/dogma
https://github.com/rubocop/rubocop
RuboCop's AST extensions and NodePattern functionality https://github.com/rubocop/rubocop-ast
https://github.com/whitequark/parser
https://hex.pm/packages?search=credo&sort=recent_downloads
https://github.com/doorgan/sourceror
https://github.com/rrrene/credo/blob/master/lib/credo/check/readability/large_numbers.ex

Special Guests: Marc-André Lafortune and René Föhring.

Web Development Frameworks: Elixir and Phoenix vs. Ruby on Rails with Owen Bickford & Dan Ivovich Dec 07, 2023

Show notes

On today’s episode, Elixir Wizards Owen Bickford and Dan Ivovich compare notes on building web applications with Elixir and the Phoenix Framework versus Ruby on Rails. They discuss the history of both frameworks, key differences in architecture and approach, and deciding which programming language to use when starting a project.

Both Phoenix and Rails are robust frameworks that enable developers to build high-quality web apps—Phoenix leverages functional programming in Elixir and Erlang’s networking for real-time communication. Rails follows object-oriented principles and has a vast ecosystem of plug-ins. For data-heavy CRUD apps, Phoenix's immutable data pipelines provide some advantages.

Developers can build great web apps with either Phoenix or Rails. Phoenix may have a slight edge for new projects based on its functional approach, built-in real-time features like LiveView, and ability to scale efficiently. But, choosing the right tech stack depends heavily on the app's specific requirements and the team's existing skills.

Topics discussed in this episode:

History and evolution of Phoenix Framework and Ruby on Rails
Default project structure and code organization preferences in each framework
Comparing object-oriented vs functional programming paradigms
CRUD app development and interaction with databases
Live reloading capabilities in Phoenix LiveView vs Rails Turbolinks
Leveraging WebSockets for real-time UI updates
Testing frameworks like RSpec, Cucumber, Wallaby, and Capybara
Dependency management and size of standard libraries
Scalability and distribution across nodes
Readability and approachability of object-oriented code
Immutability and data pipelines in functional programming
Types, specs, and static analysis with Dialyzer
Monkey patching in Ruby vs extensible core language in Elixir
Factors to consider when choosing between frameworks
Experience training new developers on Phoenix and Rails
Community influences on coding styles
Real-world project examples and refactoring approaches
Deployment and dev ops differences
Popularity and adoption curves of both frameworks
Ongoing research into improving Phoenix and Rails

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

SmartLogic.io
Dan’s LinkedIn
Owen’s LinkedIn
Ruby https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/
Rails https://rubyonrails.org/
Sams Teach Yourself Ruby in 21 Days
Learn Ruby in 7 Days
Build Your Own Ruby on Rails Web Applications
Django https://github.com/django
Sidekiq https://github.com/sidekiq
Kafka https://kafka.apache.org/
Phoenix Framework https://www.phoenixframework.org/
Phoenix LiveView https://hexdocs.pm/phoenix_live_view/Phoenix.LiveView.html#content
Flask https://flask.palletsprojects.com/en/3.0.x/
WebSockets API https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WebSockets_API
WebSocket connection for Phoenix https://github.com/phoenixframework/websock
Morph Dom https://github.com/patrick-steele-idem/morphdom
Turbolinks https://github.com/turbolinks
Ecto https://github.com/elixir-ecto
Capybara Testing Framework https://teamcapybara.github.io/capybara/
Wallaby Testing Framework https://wallabyjs.com/
Cucumber Testing Framework https://cucumber.io/
RSpec https://rspec.info/

Garbage Collection in Erlang vs JVM/Akka with Manuel Rubio & Dan Plyukhin Nov 30, 2023

Show notes

Today on Elixir Wizards, Manuel Rubio, author of Erlang/OTP: A Concurrent World and Dan Plyukhin, creator of the UIGC Actor Garbage Collector for Akka, join host Dan Ivovich to compare notes on garbage collection in actor models.

The discussion digs into the similarities and differences of actor-based garbage collection in Erlang and Akka and introduces Dan's research on how to perform garbage collection in a distributed actor system.

Topics discussed:

Akka is akin to Erlang actors for the JVM using Scala, with similar principles like supervision trees, messages, and clustering
Erlang uses generational garbage collection and periodically copies live data to the old heap for long-lived elements
Actor GC aims to determine when an actor's memory can be reclaimed automatically rather than manually killing actors
Distributed actor GC is more challenging than object GC due to the distributed nature and relationships between actors across nodes
Challenges include reasoning about failures like dropped messages and crashed nodes
GC balance requires optimization of resource release and CPU load management
Immutability helps Erlang GC, but copying data for messages impacts performance
Research into distributed actor GC is still ongoing, with opportunities for improvement
Fault tolerance in Erlang relies on user implementation rather than low-level guarantees
Asynchronous messages in Erlang/Elixir mean references may become invalid which is similar to the distributed GC approaches in Dan's research
Idempotent messaging is recommended to handle possible duplicates from failures
Help your local researcher! Researchers encourage communication from practitioners on challenges and use cases

Links mentioned:

Erlang/OTP Volume 1: A Concurrent World by Manuel Rubio https://altenwald.com/en/book/en-erlang-i
Scala https://www.scala-lang.org/
Akka Framework https://github.com/akka
JVM (Java Virtual Machine) https://www.java.com/en/download/
The BEAM VM https://www.erlang.org/blog/a-brief-beam-primer/
Hadoop Framework https://hadoop.apache.org/
Pony Programming Language https://www.ponylang.io/
SLSA Programming Language https://wcl.cs.rpi.edu/salsa/#:~:text=SALSA%20
Paxos Algorithm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paxos_(computer_science)
Raft library for maintaining a replicated state machine https://github.com/etcd-io/raft
Dan's Website https://dplyukhin.github.io/
Dan Plyukhin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dplyukhin
Dan Plyukhin’s YouTube channel: https://m.youtube.com/@dplyukhin
UIGC on GitHub https://github.com/dplyukhin/UIGC
Manuel's Website https://altenwald.com/
Manuel Rubio on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MRonErlang

Special Guests: Dan Plyukhin and Manuel Rubio.

Machine Learning in Elixir vs. Python, SQL, and Matlab with Katelynn Burns & Alexis Carpenter Nov 23, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of Elixir Wizards, Katelynn Burns, software engineer at LaunchScout, and Alexis Carpenter, senior data scientist at cars.com, join Host Dan Ivovich to discuss machine learning with Elixir, Python, SQL, and MATLAB. They compare notes on available tools, preprocessing, working with pre-trained models, and training models for specific jobs.

The discussion inspires collaboration and learning across communities while revealing the foundational aspects of ML, such as understanding data and asking the right questions to solve problems effectively.

Topics discussed:

Using pre-trained models in Bumblebee for Elixir projects
Training models using Python and SQL
The importance of data preprocessing before building models
Popular tools used for machine learning in different languages
Getting started with ML by picking a personal project topic of interest
Resources for ML aspirants, such as online courses, tutorials, and books
The potential for Elixir to train more customized models in the future
Similarities between ML approaches in different languages
Collaboration opportunities across programming communities
Choosing the right ML approach for the problem you're trying to solve
Productionalizing models like fine-tuned LLM's
The need for hands-on practice for learning ML skills
Continued maturation of tools like Bumblebee in Elixir
Katelynn's upcoming CodeBeam talk on advanced motion tracking

Links mentioned in this episode

https://launchscout.com/
https://www.cars.com/
Genetic Algorithms in Elixir by Sean Moriarity
Machine Learning in Elixir by Sean Moriarity
https://github.com/elixir-nx/bumblebee
https://github.com/huggingface
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-hub/
Programming with MATLAB
https://elixirforum.com/
https://pypi.org/project/pyspark/
Machine Learning Course from Stanford School of Engineering
Hands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn, Keras, and TensorFlow by Aurélien Géron
Data Science for Business by Foster Provost & Tom Fawcett
https://medium.com/@carscomtech
https://github.com/k-burns
Code Beam America March, 2024

Special Guests: Alexis Carpenter and Katelynn Burns.

Embedded Systems in Elixir vs. C, C++, and Java with Connor Rigby & Taylor Barto Nov 16, 2023

Show notes

This week on Elixir Wizards, Connor Rigby, Software Engineer at SmartRent, and Taylor Barto, Lead Embedded Software Engineer at Eaton, join Sundi Myint to compare notes on embedded systems development with Elixir, C, C++, and Java. They discuss using Elixir and the Nerves framework for firmware projects versus more traditional choices like C. The guests ask one another questions and gain valuable insights into challenges, tooling, resources, and more across different embedded ecosystems.

In this episode, the guests expand their perspectives and demystify the concept of embedded systems for engineers outside the field. This cross-language exchange of ideas and experiences inspires continued learning and collaboration between embedded software engineers using different programming languages.

Topics Discussed:

Defining "true embedded": using an operating system vs. bare metal programming
Benefits and drawbacks of Elixir, C, C++, and Java for firmware
Many embedded systems today use Java as the programming language via Java Native Interface (JNI) to interface with C/C++ code
How Elixir expands the toolbox available for firmware projects
Testing, tooling, workflows, and debugging across languages
Elixir/Nerves features like hot code reloading and testing vs. Java alternatives
Learning curves for new languages and frameworks
Industry trends around established vs emerging tools
Applying functional programming principles like immutability in new domains
Scaling firmware updates across large connected networks
Continued maturation of Nerves may bring Elixir into consideration for roles where Java is commonly used today
Hardening systems for reliability in safety-critical uses
Debugging differences between web development and embedded
Hiring considerations for niche languages
Additional skills needed for embedded engineers, such as technical writing, reading schematics, and writing test instructions
Resources and recommendations for getting started with embedded systems

Links Mentioned:

Nerves: https://github.com/nerves-project/nerves
https://nerves-project.org/
AtomVM: https://github.com/atomvm/AtomVM
GRiSP: https://github.com/grisp
RISC-V: https://github.com/ultraembedded/riscv
https://smartrent.com/
https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us.html
Zig Programming Language: https://github.com/ziglang
Docker: https://github.com/docker
Build a Weather Station with Elixir and Nerves by Alexander Koutmos, Bruce A. Tate, Frank Hunleth
Build a Binary Clock with Elixir and Nerves by Frank Hunleth and Bruce A. Tate
http://esp32.net/
https://www.nordicsemi.com/

Special Guests: Connor Rigby and Taylor Barto.

ECS / Game Development with Elixir vs. Python, JavaScript, React with Dorian Iacobescu & Daniel Luu Nov 09, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 4, the Elixir Wizards are joined by Dorian Iacobescu, author of the ECSpanse ECS library for Elixir, and Daniel Luu, founder and CEO of the game development studio AKREW. The guests compare notes on backend game development using ECS, the Entity Component System approach.

Akrew is currently building the multiplayer game Galactic Getaway using the Photon Unity networking framework, which employs ECS. They discuss challenges like collections of component types and persistence beyond runtime, building games for various platforms like MacOS, and handling inventory storage in a backend database.

Game development is complex and has many technical hurdles, but open communication across different programming communities and game development approaches can foster collaboration, innovation, and continued learning.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

Dorian explains the ECSpanse ECS library and component-based architecture
Dorian took inspiration for ECSpanse from the Rust library Bevy ECS and its component-based API
The guests discuss popular game development platforms and languages, including C#, JavaScript, and Godot
Owen and Daniel translate ECS concepts to familiar database and backend terminology for devs without game-specific experience
ECSpanse uses many tools from the Elixir Erlang toolbox, including GenServers, ETS tables, tasks, queries, and Phoenix LiveView
ECS challenges representing inventory collections that broke typical ECS singleton patterns
AKREW is developing Galactic Getaway using the Photon Unity framework
Relationships between parent and child entities in ECSpanse
Persistence, serialization, and replay features to save game state
Optimizing assets and code for performance on various devices

Links Mentioned

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity_component_system
https://iacobson.medium.com/elixir-for-fun-ecspanse-2852a7993ecd
https://hexdocs.pm/ecspanse/Ecspanse.html
https://bevyengine.org/learn/book/getting-started/ecs/
https://www.photonengine.com/quantum
Add Galactic Getaway to your Steam Wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2012390/Galactic_Getaway/
https://godotengine.org/
https://unity.com/
https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/scripting/gdscript/gdscript_basics.html
https://www.tiktok.com/@galacticgetaway
https://docs.rs/bevy_ecs/latest/bevy_ecs/

Special Guests: Daniel Luu and Dorian Iacobescu.

Learning a Language: Elixir vs. JavaScript with Yohana Tesfazgi & Wes Bos Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

This week, the Elixir Wizards are joined by Yohana Tesfazgi and Wes Bos to compare notes on the experience of learning Elixir vs. JavaScript as your first programming language. Yohana recently completed an Elixir apprenticeship, and Wes Bos is a renowned JavaScript educator with popular courses for beginner software developers.

They discuss a variety of media and resources and how people with different learning styles benefit from video courses, articles, or more hands-on projects. They also discuss the current atmosphere for those looking to transition into an engineering career and how to stick out among the crowd when new to the scene.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

Pros and cons of learning Elixir as your first programming language
Materials and resources for beginners to JavaScript and Elixir
Projects and methods for learning Elixir with no prior knowledge
Recommendations for sharpening and showcasing skills
How to become a standout candidate for potential employers
Soft skills like communication translate well from other careers to programming work
Learning subsequent languages becomes more intuitive once you learn your first
How to decide which library to use for a project
How to build an online presence and why it’s important
Open-source contributions are a way to learn from the community
Ship early and often, just deploying a default Phoenix app teaches deployment skills
Attend local meetups and conferences for mentoring and potential job opportunities