add sync_reply, change msg format to be more like gen_server
diff --git a/src/rexi.erl b/src/rexi.erl
index fced6ab..aca029b 100644
--- a/src/rexi.erl
+++ b/src/rexi.erl
@@ -61,6 +61,24 @@
{Caller, Ref} = get(rexi_from),
erlang:send(Caller, {Ref,Reply}).
+%% @equiv sync_reply(Reply, infinity)
+sync_reply(Reply) ->
+ sync_reply(Reply, infinity).
+
+%% @doc convenience function to reply to caller and wait for response. Message
+%% is of the form {OriginalRef, {self(),reference()}, Reply}, which enables the
+%% original caller to respond back.
+-spec sync_reply(any(), pos_integer() | infinity) -> any().
+sync_reply(Reply, Timeout) ->
+ {Caller, Ref} = get(rexi_from),
+ Tag = make_ref(),
+ erlang:send(Caller, {Ref, {self(),Tag}, Reply}),
+ receive {Tag, Response} ->
+ Response
+ after Timeout ->
+ timeout
+ end.
+
%% internal functions %%
% send a message as quickly as possible
