Open a Python port from Erlang: no reply messages

Question

Based on Chapter 12 of the OTP in Action book and Cesarini's book I wrote this Erlang code:

Erlang:

p(Param) ->

    ?DBG("Starting~n", []),

    Cmd = "python test.py",

    Port = open_port({spawn,Cmd}, [stream,{line, 1024},  exit_status]),
    ?DBG("Opened the port: ~w~n", [Port]),

    Payload = term_to_binary(list_to_binary(integer_to_list(Param))),
    erlang:port_command(Port, Payload),

    ?DBG("Sent command to port: ~w~n", [Payload]),
    ?DBG("Ready to receive results for command: ~w~n", [Payload]),

    receive
        {Port, {data, Data}} ->
            ?DBG("Received data: ~w~n", [Data]),
            {result, Text} = binary_to_term(Data),
            Blah = binary_to_list(Text),
            io:format("~p~n", [Blah]);
        Other ->
            io:format("Unexpected data: ~p~n", [Other])

    end.

Python:

import sys
def main():
    while True:
        line = sys.stdin.readline().strip()
        if line == "stop-good":
                return 0
        elif line == "stop-bad":
                return 1
        sys.stdout.write("Python got ")
        sys.stdout.write(line)
        sys.stdout.write("\n")
        sys.stdout.flush()
if __name__ == "__main__":
 sys.exit(main())

The Erlang code suspends at the recieve clause - it never gets any message.

I have also checked Python from a regular Linux shell - it prints out every user input (1 - "Python got 1").

Where is the mistake here? Why doesn't my Erlang code get anything back?

Answer 1

There are two points:

• make sure that Python does not buffer your output, try running python -u in open_port
• using term_to_binary/1 and binary_to_term/1 won't work, since they assume that Python is able to encode/decode Erlang External Term Format, which does not seem to be the case. If you want to go this route, check out ErlPort

Answer 2

Does your Param contain the command limiter for Python? (in this case I assume newline, "\n"). Also, list_to_binary/1 and then a term_to_binary/1 feels kinda wrong. term_to_binary/1 directly (including the newline) should be sufficient.