How to debug errors in Erlang? - erlang

Question

I got one error when starting my gen server, i want to know how to debug it, thanks!
I run "example:add_listener(self(), "127.0.0.1", 10999)." after start_link.
The error is :
=ERROR REPORT==== 11-May-2011::13:41:57 ===
** Generic server <0.37.0> terminating
** Last message in was {'EXIT',<0.35.0>,
{{timeout,
{gen_server,call,
[<0.35.0>,
{add_listener,"127.0.0.1",10999}]}},
[{gen_server,call,2},
{erl_eval,do_apply,5},
{shell,exprs,6},
{shell,eval_exprs,6},
{shell,eval_loop,3}]}}
** When Server state == {state,example,
{dict,0,16,16,8,80,48,
{[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],
[],[],[]},
{{[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],
[],[],[]}}},
{dict,0,16,16,8,80,48,
{[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],
[],[],[]},
{{[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],
[],[],[]}}},
[]}
** Reason for termination ==
** {{timeout,{gen_server,call,[<0.35.0>,{add_listener,"127.0.0.1",10999}]}},
[{gen_server,call,2},
{erl_eval,do_apply,5},
{shell,exprs,6},
{shell,eval_exprs,6},
{shell,eval_loop,3}]}
** exception exit: {timeout,{gen_server,call,
[<0.35.0>,{add_listener,"127.0.0.1",10999}]}}
in function gen_server:call/2
My code is :
-module(test_ess_tcp).
-export([start_link/0,
add_listener/3,
remove_listener/3]).
-export([init/2, handle_call/3, handle_cast/2, handle_info/2]).
-export([terminate/2, sock_opts/0, new_connection/4]).
-behavior(ess_tcp).
start_link() ->
ess_tcp:start_link(?MODULE, []).
add_listener(Pid, IpAddr, Port) ->
gen_server:call(Pid, {add_listener, IpAddr, Port}).
remove_listener(Pid, IpAddr, Port) ->
gen_server:call(Pid, {remove_listener, IpAddr, Port}).
init([], State) ->
%% Example storing callback module specific state
%% This modifies the server state
{ok, ess_tcp:store_cb_state([], State)}.
handle_call({add_listener, IpAddr, Port}, _From, State) ->
%% Example of getting callback module state
io:format("Not used here, but just an example"),
[] = ess_tcp:get_cb_state(State),
case ess_tcp:add_listen_socket({IpAddr, Port}, State) of
{ok, State1} ->
{reply, ok, State1};
Error ->
{reply, Error, State}
end;
handle_call({remove_listener, IpAddr, Port}, _From, State) ->
case ess_tcp:remove_listen_socket({IpAddr, Port}, State) of
{ok, State1} ->
{reply, ok, State1};
Error ->
{reply, Error, State}
end;
handle_call(_Msg, _From, State) ->
{reply, ignored, State}.
handle_cast(_Msg, State) ->
{noreply, State}.
handle_info({tcp, Sock, Data}, State) ->
Me = self(),
P = spawn(fun() -> worker(Me, Sock, Data) end),
gen_tcp:controlling_process(Sock, P),
{noreply, State};
handle_info(_Msg, State) ->
{noreply, State}.
terminate(_Reason, _State) ->
ok.
sock_opts() ->
[binary, {active, once}, {packet, 0}].
new_connection(_IpAddr, _Port, Sock, State) ->
Me = self(),
P = spawn(fun() -> worker(Me, Sock) end),
gen_tcp:controlling_process(Sock, P),
{ok, State}.
worker(Owner, Sock) ->
gen_tcp:send(Sock, "Hello\n"),
inet:setopts(Sock, [{active, once}]),
gen_tcp:controlling_process(Sock, Owner).
worker(Owner, Sock, Data) ->
gen_tcp:send(Sock, Data),
inet:setopts(Sock, [{active, once}]),
gen_tcp:controlling_process(Sock, Owner).

Answer 1

Well, your gen_server:call is getting a timeout when called. That means that the gen_server is either taking longer than the default 3 second timeout for a call or it is blocked somewhere.
using tracing to debug kind of behaviour is ideal. For instance if you type this in the shell before running the test:
dbg:tracer(),dbg:p(all,c),dbg:tpl(ess_tcp, x).
you will trace on all functions within ess_tcp to see what is going on in there. For more info about dbg see http://www.erlang.org/doc/man/dbg.html

Answer 2

actually best tool to debug in erlang is io:format statements. Put io:formats where you have doubts and see if you get the expected values.
Regarding above question it is mainly stuck somewhere !!