Is there any way to lock variable between different process in Erlang - erlang

Question

There's variable in my module, and there's receive method to renew variable value. And multiple process are calling this method simultaneously. I need lock this variable when one process is modifying it. Sample as below
mytest.erl
%%%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-module(mytest).
%% API
-export([start_link/0,display/1,callDisplay/2]).
start_link()->
Pid=spawn(mytest,display,["Hello"]),
Pid.
display(Val) ->
io:format("It started: ~p",[Val]),
NextVal=
receive
{call,Msg}->
NewVal=Val++" "++Msg++" ",
NewVal;
stop->
true
end,
display(NextVal).
callDisplay(Pid,Val)->
Pid!{call,Val}.
Start it
Pid=mytest:start_link().
Two process are calling it in the same time
P1=spawn(mytest,callDisplay,[Pid,"Walter"]),
P2=spawn(mytest,callDisplay,[Pid,"Dave"]).
I hope it can add "Walter", "Dave" one by one like "Hello Walter Dave", however, when there're too many of them running together, some Names(Walter, Dave, etc) will be override.
Because when P1, P2 started the same time, Val both are "Hello". P1 add "Walter" to become "Hello Walter", P2 add "Dave" to become "Hello Dave". P1 saved it firstly to NextVal as "Hello Walter", then P2 saved it to NextVal as "Hello Dave", so result will be "Hello Dave". "Hello Walter" is replaced by "Hello Dave", and "Walter" lost forever.
Is there any way I can lock "Val", so when we add "Walter", "Dave" will waiting till Value setting is done?

Answer 1

Even though it's an old question but it's worth explaining.
From what you said and if I'm correct,
you expect to see
"Hello Walter", and "Hello Dave". However, you're seeing successive names been appended to the former as, "Hello Walter Dave.."
This behavior is normal and to see that let look briefly at Erlang memory model. Erlang process memory is divided into three main parts:
Process Control Block(PCB):
This hold the process pid, registered name,table,states and pointers to messages in the it's queue.
Stack:
This hold function parameters, local variables and function return address.
Private Heap: This hold incoming message compound data like tuple, list and binary(not larger than 64 bytes).
All data in these memory belong to and are private to the owning process.
Stage1:
When Pid=spawn(mytest,display,["Hello"]) is called, the server process is created, then the display function with "Hello" passed as argument is called. Since display/1 is executed in the serve process, the "Hello" argument lives in the server's process stack. Execution of display/1 continues until it reaches the receive clause then block and await message matching your format.
Stage 2:
Now P1 starts, it executes ServerPid ! {call, "Walter"}, then P2 executes ServerPid ! {call, "Dave"}. In both cases, erlang makes a copy of the message and send it to the server's process mailbox (Private Heap). This copied message in the mailbox belongs to the server process not the client's.
Now, when {call, "Walter"} is matched, Msg get bound to "Walter".
From stage1, we know Val is bounded to "Hello", Newval then get bounded to "Val ++ " " ++ Msg" = "Hello Walter".
At this point, P2's message, {call, "Dave"}, is still in the server's mailbox awaiting the next receive clause which will happen in the next recursive call to display/1. NextVal get bound to NewVal and the recursive call to dispaly/1 with "Hello Walter" passed as argument is made. This gives the first print "Hello Walter " which now also lives in the server's process stack.
Now when the receive clause is reach again, P2's message {call, "Dave"} is matched.
Now NewVal and NextVal get bound to "Hello Walter" ++ " " ++ "Dave" = "Hello Walter Dave". This get passed as argument to display/1 as the new Val to print Hello Walter Dave. In a nutshell, this variable is updated on every server loop. It serves the same purpose as the State term in gen_server behavior. In your case, successive client calls just appends the message to this serve state variable. Now to your question,
Is there any way I can lock Val, so when we add "Walter", "Dave" will waiting till Value setting is done?
No. Not by locking. Erlang does not work this way.
There are no process locking constructs as it does not need one.
Data(Variables) are always immutable and private(except large binaries which stays in the Shared Heap) to the process that created it.
Also, it's not the actual message you used in the Pid ! Msg construct that is process by the receiving process. It's it copy. The Val parameter in yourdisplay/1 function is private and belongs to the server process because it lives in it stack memory as every call to display/1 is made by the server process itself. So there is no way any other process can lock not even see that variable.
Yes. By sequential message processing
This is exactly what the server process is doing. Polling one message a time from it queue. When {call, "Walter"} was taken, {call, "Dave"} was waiting in the queue. The reason why you see unexpected greeting is because the you change the server state, the display/1 parameter for the next display/1 call which process {call, "Dave"}