# Quickstart
## Install
```bash
cargo add xan-actor
cargo add async-trait
```
`bounded-channel` is the default.
To use unbounded mode:
```bash
cargo add xan-actor --no-default-features --features unbounded-channel
```
## Minimal Example
```rust
use xan_actor::prelude::*;
use std::sync::Arc;
#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
enum MsgA {
Ping(String),
}
#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
enum MsgB {
Echo(String),
}
#[derive(thiserror::Error, Debug)]
enum MyError {
#[error(transparent)]
Actor(#[from] ActorError),
}
struct ActorA {
address: String,
}
struct ActorB {
address: String,
}
#[async_trait::async_trait]
impl Actor for ActorA {
type Message = MsgA;
type Result = MsgA;
type Error = MyError;
fn address(&self) -> &str { &self.address }
async fn handle(&mut self, msg: Arc<Self::Message>) -> Result<Self::Result, Self::Error> {
Ok((*msg).clone())
}
}
#[async_trait::async_trait]
impl Actor for ActorB {
type Message = MsgB;
type Result = MsgB;
type Error = MyError;
fn address(&self) -> &str { &self.address }
async fn handle(&mut self, msg: Arc<Self::Message>) -> Result<Self::Result, Self::Error> {
Ok((*msg).clone())
}
}
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<(), ActorError> {
let mut system = ActorSystem::new(None);
ActorA { address: "/a/1".into() }
.register(&mut system, ErrorHandling::Stop, Blocking::NonBlocking, None)
.await?;
ActorB { address: "/b/1".into() }
.register(&mut system, ErrorHandling::Stop, Blocking::NonBlocking, None)
.await?;
// compile-time check: only MsgA is accepted here
system.send::<ActorA>("/a/1".into(), MsgA::Ping("hello".into())).await?;
let result = system
.send_and_recv::<ActorB>("/b/1".into(), MsgB::Echo("world".into()))
.await?;
println!("result = {:?}", result);
Ok(())
}
```
## What This Shows
- one `ActorSystem` hosting `ActorA` and `ActorB`
- `send::<ActorA>` accepts only `MsgA`
- `send_and_recv::<ActorB>` returns `ActorB::Result`
## Multi-node Minimal Example
```bash
cargo add xan-actor --features multi-node
cargo add async-trait
cargo add thiserror
cargo add xancode # needed for `#[derive(Codec)]`; xan-actor doesn't re-export it
cargo add xanq # this example spawns its own in-process broker; skip if connecting to an external one
```
This example runs an in-process xanq broker so it works as a single binary.
Two `ActorSystem` instances (`node-b` and `node-a`) speak to it; the actor
lives on `node-b` and `node-a` calls it via a fully qualified `Address`.
See [Multi-node](multi-node.md) for the full setup.
```rust
use std::sync::Arc;
use xan_actor::prelude::*; // Address, NodeFilter, Topic, ...
use xancode::Codec; // direct dependency on the user side
use xanq::server::Server;
// `Codec` is required so messages and results can cross node boundaries.
#[derive(Debug, Clone, Codec)]
enum Echo {
Ping(String),
Pong(String),
}
#[derive(thiserror::Error, Debug)]
enum E {
#[error(transparent)]
Actor(#[from] ActorError),
}
struct EchoActor {
addr: Address,
}
#[async_trait::async_trait]
impl Actor for EchoActor {
type Message = Echo;
type Result = Echo;
type Error = E;
fn address(&self) -> &Address { &self.addr }
async fn handle(&mut self, msg: Arc<Self::Message>) -> Result<Self::Result, Self::Error> {
match &*msg {
Echo::Ping(s) => Ok(Echo::Pong(format!("pong:{s}"))),
other => Ok(other.clone()),
}
}
}
// Module-scope registration. Wires `EchoActor` into the inter-node decoder/encoder
// registry so a peer node can deserialize messages addressed to it.
xan_actor::register_for_inter_node!(EchoActor);
#[tokio::main(flavor = "multi_thread")]
async fn main() -> Result<(), ActorError> {
// 1. Start an in-process xanq broker. Our `Address` impls `xanq::address::Address`,
// so it doubles as the Server's type parameter — no extra newtype needed.
let (_server, broker_addr) = Server::<Address>::spawn("127.0.0.1:0")
.await
.expect("spawn broker");
let broker = broker_addr.to_string();
// 2. Owner node hosts the actor. The actor's Address.node must match the system's node_name.
let mut node_b = ActorSystem::new(
None, // channel_size
"node-b".into(), // node_name
Some(broker.clone()), // broker_addr
).await?;
EchoActor { addr: Address::new("node-b", "/echo") }
.register(&mut node_b, ErrorHandling::Stop, Blocking::NonBlocking, None)
.await?;
// 3. Caller node.
let mut node_a = ActorSystem::new(None, "node-a".into(), Some(broker)).await?;
// 4. Same API as single-node — the Address.node field decides routing.
let resp = node_a
.send_and_recv::<EchoActor>(
Address::new("node-b", "/echo"),
Echo::Ping("hi".into()),
)
.await?;
println!("got = {resp:?}");
Ok(())
}
```
### What's Different
- `Echo` derives `xancode::Codec` so the payload can be serialized.
- `register_for_inter_node!(EchoActor)` is called once at module scope.
- The actor holds an `Address` (struct), not a `String`. `Actor::address` returns `&Address`.
- `ActorSystem::new` is `async` and requires `node_name`; `broker_addr` is optional.
- `send_and_recv::<EchoActor>(Address::new("node-b", "/echo"), ...)` — the `Address.node` field structurally decides whether the call goes local (no broker) or remote (over the broker).