I have a gen_server which stores positions of objects in an ets table like this
-module(my_gen_server).
-record(slot, {position, object}).
-behavior(gen_server).
%% API
-export([start_link/1, init/1, move/2, handle_call/3, handle_cast/2, get/1, delete/1]).
start_link() ->
gen_server:start_link({local, ?MODULE}, ?MODULE, [], []).
init([]) ->
WidthX, HeightY = get_dims(),
ets:new(my_gen_server,[named_table, {keypos, #slot.position}]),
{ok, {WidthX, HeightY}}.
move(Object, {X,Y}) ->
gen_server:call(?MODULE, {move, Object, {X,Y}}).
handle_call({move, Object, {X,Y}}, _From, {WidthX, HeightY}) ->
case add_or_move(Object, X, Y) of
{error, Reason} ->
{reply, {error, Reason}, {WidthX, HeightY}};
_ ->
{reply, ok, {WidthX, HeightY}}
end.
search_object(Object) ->
Pos = ets:match(my_gen_server, #slot{position ='$1', object = Object, _='_'}),
case Pos of
[] -> {error, "Not found"};
_ -> lists:flatten(Pos)
end.
add_or_move(Object, X, Y) ->
Pos = search_object(Object),
case Pos of
{error, _Reason} ->
supervisor:start_child(my_object_sup, [Object, {X, Y}]),
ets:insert(my_gen_server, #slot{position = {X,Y}, object = Object});
_ ->
ets:insert(my_gen_server, #slot{position = {X,Y}, object = Object})
end.
The problem is when a supervisor starts my_gen_server and the process crashes and restarts, the ets table is gone and I lose all my object data. I searched for this problem and everywhere they say that storing data in ets table can help in making the state persist but I cannot find the code to achieve it anywhere.
I also tried creating the ets table before gen_server:start_link is called instead of init, but that prevents the gen_server from restarting at all after crash. I understand that conceptually ets table should be able to persist the state but would really like some help in understanding how it works in code.