Erl_interface Release Notes

Erl_interface 3.2

Improvements and new features

• The reference type has been extended from 18 bits to 82 bits. For compatibility with older nodes, an R6 node can send a ref to an older node; if the older node sends it back, it has lost all but its 18 least significant bits, but still compares equal to the original ref. The external format has been extended to represent the new longer refs; that means for example that binaries with refs, produced on an R6 node, cannot be converted to a term on an older node. In erl_interface, a function erl_mk_long_ref has been added, and macros ERL_REF_NUMBERS and ERL_REF_LEN.
  (*** POTENTIAL INCOMPATIBILITY ***)
  Own Id: OTP-3140
  Aux Id: OTP-3139
• The function erl_receive_msg has the problem that a fixed buffer must be given - a larger message than expected is simply discarded. A function erl_xreceive_msg has been introduced, which dynamically resizes the buffer given to it, if needed.
  Own Id: OTP-3313
  Aux Id: OTP-2927