allow additional initialization arguments be passed to actor.

src/actor-api.lisp

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
   (:use :cl)
   (:nicknames :act)
   (:export #:make-actor
+           #:other-init-args
            #:actor
            #:tell
            #:!
@@ -27,7 +28,11 @@
 (in-package :sento.actor)
 
 (defclass actor (actor-cell)
-  ((receive :initarg :receive
+  ((other-init-args :initarg :other-init-args
+                    :initform nil
+                    :reader other-init-args
+                    :documentation "Other init args passed to `make-actor`")
+   (receive :initarg :receive
             :initform (error "'receive' must be specified!")
             :reader receive
             :documentation
@@ -66,7 +71,7 @@ There is asynchronous `tell`, a synchronous `ask-s` and asynchronous `ask` which
 
 To stop an actors message processing in order to cleanup resouces you should `tell` (or `ask-s`) the `:stop` message. It will respond with `:stopped` (in case of `ask(-s)`)."))
 
-(defgeneric make-actor (receive &key name state type init destroy)
+(defgeneric make-actor (receive &key name state type init destroy other-init-args)
   (:documentation
    "Constructs an `actor`.
 
@@ -84,7 +89,9 @@ If you have additional initializations to make you can do so in `initialize-inst
 - `state`: initialize an actor with a state. (default is `nil`)
 
 - `init` and `destroy`: are functions that take one argument, the actor instance.
-Those hooks are called on (after) initialization and (after) stop respectively."))
+Those hooks are called on (after) initialization and (after) stop respectively.
+
+- `other-init-args`: are additional arguments passed to `initialize-instance` of the actor class."))
 
 (defgeneric pre-start (actor)
   (:documentation

src/actor-context-api.lisp

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 (in-package :sento.actor-context)
 
 (defgeneric actor-of (context
-                      &key receive init destroy dispatcher state type name)
+                      &key receive init destroy dispatcher state type name other-args)
   (:documentation "Interface for creating an actor.
 
 **!!! Attention:** this factory function wraps the `act:make-actor` functionality to something more simple to use. 
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ This function allows to unsubsribe from event-stream or such.
 - `:dispatcher` key can be used to define the message dispatcher manually.
   Options are `:shared` (default) and `:pinned`.
 - `:type` can specify a custom actor class. See `act:make-actor` for more info.
-- `:name` to set a specific name to the actor, otherwise a random name will be used."))
+- `:name` to set a specific name to the actor, otherwise a random name will be used.
+- `:other-args` are in the actor instance as `other-init-args` and can be acted upon in i.e. `pre-start` for additional initialization."))
 
 (defgeneric find-actors (context path &key test key)
   (:documentation "Returns actors to be found by the criteria of:

src/actor-context.lisp

@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ An `act:actor` contains an `actor-context`."
                      &key receive
                        (init nil) (destroy nil)
                        (dispatcher :shared) (state nil)
-                       (type 'act:actor) (name nil))
+                       (type 'act:actor) (name nil)
+                       (other-args nil))
   "See `ac:actor-of`."
   (check-type receive function "a function!")
   (%actor-of context
@@ -119,7 +120,8 @@ An `act:actor` contains an `actor-context`."
                                    :name name
                                    :type type
                                    :init init
-                                   :destroy destroy))
+                                   :destroy destroy
+                                   :other-init-args other-args))
              :dispatcher dispatcher))
 
 ;; test 2-arity function with 'path' and 'act-cell-name' (default)

src/actor-system.lisp

@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@ See `config:config-from`."
                     state
                     (type 'act:actor)
                     name
-                    (context-key :user))
+                    (context-key :user)
+                    (other-args nil))
   "Private API to create system actors. Context-key is either `:internal` or `:user`
 Users should use `actor-of`."
   (ac:actor-of (actor-context-for-key context-key system)
@@ -141,7 +142,8 @@ Users should use `actor-of`."
     :dispatcher dispatcher
     :state state
     :type type
-    :name name))
+    :name name
+    :other-args other-args))
 
 (defun %find-actors (system path &key test key context-key)
   "Private API to find actors in both contexts the actor-system supports.
@@ -192,7 +194,8 @@ Users should use `ac:find-actors`."
                      &key receive
                        (init nil) (destroy nil)
                        (dispatcher :shared) (state nil)
-                       (type 'act:actor) (name nil))
+                       (type 'act:actor) (name nil)
+                       (other-args nil))
   "See `ac:actor-of`"
   (%actor-of system
     :receive receive
@@ -202,7 +205,8 @@ Users should use `ac:find-actors`."
     :state state
     :type type
     :name name
-    :context-key :user))
+    :context-key :user
+    :other-args other-args))
 
 (defmethod find-actors ((self actor-system) path &key (test #'string=) (key #'act-cell:name))
   "See `ac:find-actors`"

src/actor.lisp

@@ -21,13 +21,14 @@
 (setf (symbol-function '!) #'act:tell)
 (setf (symbol-function '?) #'act:ask)
 
-(defmethod make-actor (receive &key name state (type 'actor) (init nil) (destroy nil))
+(defmethod make-actor (receive &key name state (type 'actor) (init nil) (destroy nil) (other-init-args nil))
   (make-instance type
                  :name name
                  :state state
                  :receive receive
                  :init init
-                 :destroy destroy))
+                 :destroy destroy
+                 :other-init-args other-init-args))
 
 (defun finalize-initialization (actor message-box actor-context)
   "Private API: finalize initialization of the actor with a `mesgb:message-box` and an `ac:actor-context`."
@@ -252,7 +253,8 @@ Use this from within receive function to reply to a sender."
                      &key receive
                        (init nil) (destroy nil)
                        (dispatcher :shared) (state nil)
-                       (type 'act:actor) (name nil))
+                       (type 'act:actor) (name nil)
+                       (other-args nil))
   "`ac:actor-context` protocol implementation"
   (ac:actor-of (context actor)
     :receive receive
@@ -261,4 +263,5 @@ Use this from within receive function to reply to a sender."
     :dispatcher dispatcher
     :state state
     :type type
-    :name name))
+    :name name
+    :other-args other-args))