Introduction

This is a version of the LFE quick start that has been re-imagined with the LFE rebar3 plugin in mind.

We will cover the following:

  • How to get started quickly with LFE using just rebar3 and your local installation of Erlang
  • Creating a new LFE project
  • Looking at LFE code in the REPL and in modules
  • Provide a little insight on how this works
  • Leave you with resources for jumping into LFE in more detail

About rebar3

Rebar3 is an Erlang tool that makes it easy to create, develop, and release Erlang libraries, applications, and systems in a repeatable manner.

Rebar3 will:

  • respect and enforce standard Erlang/OTP conventions for project structure so they are easily reusable by the community;
  • manage source dependencies and Erlang packages while ensuring repeatable builds;
  • handle build artefacts, paths, and libraries such that standard development tools can be used without a headache;
  • adapt to projects of all sizes on almost any platform;
  • treat documentation as a feature, and errors or lack of documentation as a bug.

Rebar3 is also a self-contained Erlang script. It is easy to distribute or embed directly in a project. Tasks or behaviours can be modified or expanded with a plugin system flexible enough that even other languages on the Erlang VM will use it as a build tool.

The rebar3 site provides some nice instructions on installing rebar3.