doc: Tweak and fix the "Writing our own actors" section.

* doc/8sync-new-manual.org: Fixed some errors and made things a bit
clearer.

diff --git a/doc/8sync-new-manual.org b/doc/8sync-new-manual.org
index 5239b3bd664fd9ad40f1d2cc25e276a4149edae9..d2771c1108f627ef74234dda061663f9c94c30f9 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/8sync-new-manual.org
+++ b/doc/8sync-new-manual.org
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ IRC> /query examplebot
 
 Horray!
 
 
 Horray!
 

-** Writing our own actors and sending messages between them
+** Writing our own actors

 
 Let's write the most basic, boring actor possible.
 How about an actor that start sleeping, and keeps sleeping?
 
 Let's write the most basic, boring actor possible.
 How about an actor that start sleeping, and keeps sleeping?


@@ -642,7 +642,7 @@ reference other actors.
                            (work-on-this worker-work-on-this))))
 
   (define (worker-work-on-this worker message difficulty)
                            (work-on-this worker-work-on-this))))
 
   (define (worker-work-on-this worker message difficulty)

-    ""
+    "Work on one task until done."

     (set! (worker-task-left worker) difficulty)
     (display "worker> Whatever you say, boss!\n")
     (while (and (actor-alive? worker)
     (set! (worker-task-left worker) difficulty)
     (display "worker> Whatever you say, boss!\n")
     (while (and (actor-alive? worker)


@@ -650,12 +650,11 @@ reference other actors.
       (display "worker> *huff puff*\n")
       (set! (worker-task-left worker)
             (- (worker-task-left worker) 1))
       (display "worker> *huff puff*\n")
       (set! (worker-task-left worker)
             (- (worker-task-left worker) 1))

-      (8sync (/ 1 3)))
-    (display "worker> Looks like I'm done!  Can I go home yet?\n"))
+      (8sleep (/ 1 3))))

 #+END_SRC
 
 The worker also contains familiar code, but we now see that we can
 #+END_SRC
 
 The worker also contains familiar code, but we now see that we can

-call 8sync with non-integer real numbers.
+call 8sleep with non-integer real numbers.

 
 Looks like there's nothing left to do but run it:
 
 
 Looks like there's nothing left to do but run it:
 


@@ -675,7 +674,6 @@ worker> *huff puff*
 worker> *huff puff*
 worker> *huff puff*
 worker> *huff puff*
 worker> *huff puff*
 worker> *huff puff*
 worker> *huff puff*

-worker> Looks like I'm done!  Can I go home yet?

 #+END_SRC
 
 "<-" pays no attention to what happens with the messages it has sent
 #+END_SRC
 
 "<-" pays no attention to what happens with the messages it has sent


@@ -701,7 +699,8 @@ into a micromanager.
     (<- (manager-direct-report manager)
         'work-on-this difficulty)
 
     (<- (manager-direct-report manager)
         'work-on-this difficulty)
 

-    ;; call the micromanagement loop
+    ;; Wait a moment, then call the micromanagement loop
+    (8sleep (/ 1 2))

     (manager-micromanage-loop manager))
 
   ;;; And add the following
     (manager-micromanage-loop manager))
 
   ;;; And add the following


@@ -709,16 +708,16 @@ into a micromanager.
   (define (manager-micromanage-loop manager)
     "Pester direct report until they're done with their task."
     (display "manager> Are you done yet???\n")
   (define (manager-micromanage-loop manager)
     "Pester direct report until they're done with their task."
     (display "manager> Are you done yet???\n")

-    (let ((still-working
+    (let ((worker-is-done

            (mbody-val (<-wait (manager-direct-report manager)
                               'done-yet?))))
            (mbody-val (<-wait (manager-direct-report manager)
                               'done-yet?))))

-      (if still-working
+      (if worker-is-done
+          (begin (display "manager> Oh!  I guess you can go home then.\n")
+                 (<- (manager-direct-report manager) 'go-home))

           (begin (display "manager> Harumph!\n")
           (begin (display "manager> Harumph!\n")

-                 (8sleep 1)
+                 (8sleep (/ 1 2))

                  (when (actor-alive? manager)
                  (when (actor-alive? manager)

-                   (manager-micromanage-loop manager)))
-          (begin (display "manager> Oh!  I guess you can go home then.\n")
-                 (<- (manager-direct-report manager) 'go-home)))))
+                   (manager-micromanage-loop manager))))))

 #+END_SRC
 
 We've appended a micromanagement loop here... but what's going on?
 #+END_SRC
 
 We've appended a micromanagement loop here... but what's going on?


@@ -747,15 +746,50 @@ Of course, we need to update our worker accordingly as well.
   ;;; New procedures:
   (define (worker-done-yet? worker message)
     "Reply with whether or not we're done yet."
   ;;; New procedures:
   (define (worker-done-yet? worker message)
     "Reply with whether or not we're done yet."

-    (<-reply message
-             (= (worker-task-left worker) 0)))
+    (let ((am-i-done? (= (worker-task-left worker) 0)))
+      (if am-i-done?
+          (display "worker> Yes, I finished up!\n")
+          (display "worker> No... I'm still working on it...\n"))
+      (<-reply message am-i-done?)))

 
   (define (worker-go-home worker message)
     "It's off of work for us!"
 
   (define (worker-go-home worker message)
     "It's off of work for us!"

-    (display "worker> Whew!  Free at last.")
+    (display "worker> Whew!  Free at last.\n")

     (self-destruct worker))
 #+END_SRC
 
     (self-destruct worker))
 #+END_SRC
 

+Running it is the same as before:
+
+#+BEGIN_SRC scheme
+  (let* ((hive (make-hive))
+         (worker (bootstrap-actor hive <worker>))
+         (manager (bootstrap-actor hive <manager>
+                                   #:direct-report worker)))
+    (run-hive hive (list (bootstrap-message hive manager 'assign-task 5))))
+#+END_SRC
+
+But the output is a bit different:
+
+#+BEGIN_SRC scheme
+manager> Work on this task for me!
+worker> Whatever you say, boss!
+worker> *huff puff*
+worker> *huff puff*
+manager> Are you done yet???
+worker> No... I'm still working on it...
+manager> Harumph!
+worker> *huff puff*
+manager> Are you done yet???
+worker> *huff puff*
+worker> No... I'm still working on it...
+manager> Harumph!
+worker> *huff puff*
+manager> Are you done yet???
+worker> Yes, I finished up!
+manager> Oh!  I guess you can go home then.
+worker> Whew!  Free at last.
+#+END_SRC
+

 "<-reply" is what actually returns the information to the actor
 waiting on the reply.
 It takes as an argument the actor sending the message, the message
 "<-reply" is what actually returns the information to the actor
 waiting on the reply.
 It takes as an argument the actor sending the message, the message