QFM066: Elixir Reading List - May 2025

Source: Photo by Pramod Tiwari on Unsplash

This month's Elixir Reading List showcases framework evolution and AI integration within the Elixir ecosystem. Ash AI: A comprehensive LLM toolbox for Ash Framework introduces a new package that facilitates Large Language Model integration into Ash Framework applications, featuring structured output actions, tool definitions, vectorisation, and MCP server support whilst maintaining secure design principles. This connects to AshEvents: Event Sourcing Made Simple For Ash Framework, which provides event sourcing capabilities with comprehensive tracking, event versioning, and replay functionality for managing historical data and debugging complex systems.

Workflow orchestration and AI-powered development receive significant attention. Weaving Stories with Cascading Workflows demonstrates Oban Pro v1.6 RC's cascading workflow features through 'FireSaga', a generative AI-powered children's story creation workflow that showcases automated context sharing and simplified dependency management. The AI development theme continues with Elixir's Advantage in the Era of AI, which explains how Elixir's first-class documentation, functional nature, and integrated testing framework make it ideal for AI pair programming with tools like Cursor and Claude Code.

User interface and accessibility improvements feature prominently through Phoenix ecosystem developments. Introducing Mishka Chelekom v0.0.5 - Now with Accessibility Support highlights the Phoenix UI library's latest release, introducing gallery components, progress bars, clipboard features, and foundational accessibility support across all Phoenix components.

Development tooling and language interoperability expand the ecosystem's capabilities. Introducing Lua for Elixir presents Lua v0.1.0, enabling sandboxed Lua program execution directly on BEAM VM without C runtime embedding, built on the Luerl library for television testing environments. UsageRules: A Development Tool for Elixir Projects offers automated documentation consolidation for project dependencies, supporting major frameworks like Ash and Phoenix with multiple operational modes.

Educational content and core language features provide foundation knowledge. Structs vs Embedded Schemas in Elixir clarifies the differences between lightweight structs for internal data grouping and embedded schemas for robust data validation in JSON APIs and complex transformations. #til: Elixir has a super() function explores Elixir Kernel's essential language primitives, including arithmetic operations, process management, control-flow macros, and compiler optimisations.

Multimedia processing and AI assistance tools round out the selection. Membrane - An easily understandable and customisable multimedia framework offers real-time communication solutions with multiple I/O protocols, transcoding options, and monitoring utilities for media processing across platforms. AI-powered assistance appears through Meet Exmeralda: Your AI-Powered Elixir Assistant, which provides version-specific answers to Elixir library questions using Retrieval-Augmented Generation combined with real documentation.

Advanced AI workflow concepts conclude with sophisticated orchestration approaches. "AI Agent" Frameworks & Workflows explores graph-based workflow solutions for managing deterministic control in generative AI environments, questioning whether to integrate AI Agents into workflow engines or vice versa whilst examining modern approaches that rely on APIs with prompting abstractions and structured outputs.

As always, the Quantum Fax Machine Propellor Hat Key will guide your browsing. Enjoy!

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Originally published on quantumfaxmachine.com. Also cross-published on Medium.

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