NodeActor

NodeActor is an actor model implement for nodejs. It makes message exchange more easier between different components in node app.

Feature

• you can defined any actor in anywhere
• support broadcast messages
• support forward messages
• support foreground and background mode(foreground mode will handle the message right now , background mode will save message in actor's message box)
• very simple to use

Install

• run npm i -S node-actor in your project
• import ActorSystem and Actor from node-actor to your app
• then you can define your actors , use anywhere

Usage

when you finished install,you can do following things to use actor

import {ActorSystem,Actor} from 'node-actor'

let system = new ActorSystem()

system.start('app',m=>{
    console.log(m.message)
})

or

var nodeActor = require('node-actor');

var system = new nodeActor.ActorSystem();

system.start('app',m=>{
    console.log(m.message)
})

1. Require node-actor module.
2. Create an Actor and give it a receiver function.
3. Send messages according to actor.
4. you can stop or pause this actor when necessary.

It is so easy?Right?

APIs

Actor [Model Class]

Fields

• .name : a unique name for actor, required.
• .state : the actor's state, it has two value:Actor.STATE_FOREGROUND and Actor.STATE_BACKGROUND.
• .backgroundMessageBox : a message box for message cache when actor under the background state.Usually, you need not to access it.
• .actorSystem : ActorSystem's reference.

Methods

• constructor(name:string,actorSystem:ActorSystem)
• receive(m:{message:any,sender:Actor,receiver:Actor})=>any : Actor's message handler
• sendByName(name:string,message:any)=>void
• send(actor:Actor,message:any)=>void
• forwardByName(name:string,msg:{message:any,sender:Actor,receiver:Actor})=>void : forward method can give the message to another actor and keep the origin sender
• forward(actor:Actor,msg:{message:any,sender:Actor,receiver:Actor})=>void
• broadcast(message:any)=>void : can send a message to all actors, include itself
• tell(message:any,sender:Actor)=>void : let this actor receive a message with a sender. Usually, you should use sendXXX method to send message not this
• become(receiver:(m:{message:any,sender:Actor,receiver:Actor})=>any)=>void : change the actor's receive handler

ActorSystem [Model Class]

Fields

• .actors : all the actors in this actor system

Method

• create(name:string):Actor : create an actor with a none receiver and background state in actor system. It can be used in prebuilt an actor and let it cache message during it not started
• start(name:string,receiver:(m:{message:any,sender:Actor,receiver:Actor})=>any):Actor : start an actor with a receiver by name and let this actor in foreground state
• startActor(actor:Actor):Actor
• pause(name:string):void : let this actor switch to background mode by name
• stop(name:string):void : remove the actor from this actor system by name

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