# whisper
[](https://hex.pm/packages/whisper)
[](https://hexdocs.pm/whisper/)


> ⚠️ **Warning:** This project is experimental and unstable. APIs may change significantly between versions.
A lightweight, cross-platform pub/sub library for Gleam with topic-based messaging and buffered subscriptions.
Whisper provides process-local pub/sub with configurable message buffers, supporting both streaming subscriptions and callback-based handlers.
## Features
- 📢 **Topic-based messaging** - Organize messages by named topics
- 🔄 **Buffered subscriptions** - Pull messages on demand with configurable buffer capacity
- ⚡ **Callback listeners** - Real-time push notifications
- 🌐 **Cross-platform** - Works on both Erlang and JavaScript targets
- 🎯 **Type-safe** - Leverages Gleam's type system for safety
## Installation
Add whisper to your Gleam project:
```sh
gleam add whisper
```
## Usage
### Creating a Topic
```gleam
import whisper
let assert Ok(events) = whisper.new_topic("events", capacity: 100)
```
The capacity parameter determines how many messages each subscription can buffer before older messages are dropped.
### Subscriptions (Pull-based)
Subscriptions provide a buffered queue where messages are stored until you retrieve them:
```gleam
let sub = whisper.subscribe(events)
// Publish some messages
whisper.publish(events, 1)
whisper.publish(events, 2)
whisper.publish(events, 3)
// Pull messages on demand
let assert whisper.Message(1) = sub.receive()
let assert whisper.Message(2) = sub.receive()
let assert whisper.Message(3) = sub.receive()
// Check for messages without blocking
case sub.receive() {
whisper.Message(msg) -> io.println("Got message")
whisper.Empty -> io.println("No messages available")
whisper.Closed(err) -> io.println("Topic closed")
}
sub.cancel()
```
### Callbacks (Push-based)
Register callback listeners for real-time notifications:
```gleam
let assert Ok(notifications) = whisper.new_topic("notifications", capacity: 50)
let unsubscribe = whisper.on(notifications, fn(msg) {
io.println("Received: " <> msg)
})
whisper.publish(notifications, "Hello!")
unsubscribe()
```
### Multiple Subscribers
Multiple subscribers can listen to the same topic:
```gleam
let assert Ok(news) = whisper.new_topic("news", capacity: 100)
let sub1 = whisper.subscribe(news)
let sub2 = whisper.subscribe(news)
whisper.publish(news, "Breaking news!")
// Both subscribers receive the message
let assert whisper.Message(msg1) = sub1.receive()
let assert whisper.Message(msg2) = sub2.receive()
```
### Closing Topics
Close a topic to stop all subscriptions and prevent new messages:
```gleam
whisper.close(events)
// Subscribers will receive Closed error
case sub.receive() {
whisper.Closed(whisper.TopicIsNotRegistered) -> {
io.println("Topic has been closed")
}
_ -> Nil
}
```