Summary of matching patterns in Erlang

1. Matching during assignment

Atomic Matching

Copy the codeThe code is as follows:

atom    = atom                        % atom

another = another                     % another

atom    = another                     % exception error

Variable matching

Copy the codeThe code is as follows:

Var = 2.                              % 2

Var = 3 - 1.                          % 2

Var = 1.                              % exception error

Tuple Match

Copy the codeThe code is as follows:

Attr = {name, sloger}.                % {name, sloger}

{name, Name} = Attr.                  % {name, sloger}

Name.                                 % sloger

List Match

Copy the codeThe code is as follows:

Langs = [perl, python, ruby, erlang].

[Head | Tail] = Langs.

Head.                                 % perl

Tail.                                 % [python, ruby, erlang]

Parameter matching

Copy the codeThe code is as follows:

sum([]) -> 0;
sum([H|T]) -> H + sum(T).

sum([1, 2, 3]). % 6

Record matching

Copy the codeThe code is as follows:

%% record(post, {title, slug, body, author}).

Post = #post{title = "Pattern Match in Erlang",
             slug = "pattern-match-in-erlang",
             body = "Bla bla bla...",
             author = sloger}.

#post{title = Title, slug = Slug} = Post.

Title. �
Slug. % "summary-of-pattern-match-in-erlang"

Bit Match

Copy the codeThe code is as follows:

Red = 5.
Green = 23.
Blue = 200.

Color = <<Red:5, Green:6, Blue:5>>.

<<R1:5, G1:6, B1:5>> = Color.

R1.                                   % 5
G1.                                   % 23
B1.                                   % 200

2. Matching in process control

Copy the codeThe code is as follows:

if
    Pattern1 [when Guard1] -> Expression1;
    Pattern2 [when Guard2] -> Expression2;
    %% and so on ...
_                                                                                                                              �
end.

case

Copy the codeThe code is as follows:

case Expression of
    Pattern1 [when Guard1] -> Expression1;
    Pattern2 [when Guard2] -> Expression2;
    %% and so on ...
    _                      -> Expression3
end.

try catch

Copy the codeThe code is as follows:

try FunctionOrExpressions of
    Pattern1 [when Guard1] -> Expression1;
    Pattern2 [when Guard2] -> Expression2
    %% and so on ...
catch
    ExType:ExPattern1 [when ExGuard1] ->
        ExExpression1;
    ExType:ExPattern2 [when ExGuard2] ->
        ExExpression2;
    %% and so on ...
_:_ -> DefaultExExpression
after
    AfterExpressions
end

Message Matching

Copy the codeThe code is as follows:

loop() ->

    receive

        {From, {rectangle, Width, Height}} ->

            From ! {self(), Width * Height},

            loop();

        {From, {circle, R}} ->

            From ! {self(), 3.14 * R * R},

            loop();

        {From, _Other} ->

            From ! {self(), {error, unknown_shape}}

            loop()

    end.

Pid = spawn(fun loop/0).

Pid ! {self(), {rectangle, 10, 5}}.         % {Pid, 50}

Pid ! {self(), {circle, 4}}.                % {Pid, 50.24}

Pid ! {self(), {square, 10}}.               % {Pid, {error, unknown_shape}}