https://github.com/cwahn/theta
An async actor framework for Rust
https://github.com/cwahn/theta
Last synced: 2 months ago
JSON representation
An async actor framework for Rust
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/cwahn/theta
- Owner: cwahn
- License: mit
- Created: 2025-07-20T02:41:09.000Z (11 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-04-13T05:32:16.000Z (2 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-04-13T07:24:16.485Z (2 months ago)
- Language: Rust
- Homepage:
- Size: 1.22 MB
- Stars: 62
- Watchers: 2
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
[](https://crates.io/crates/theta)
[](https://docs.rs/theta)
[](https://github.com/cwahn/theta/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
[](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)
# Theta
**An actor framework for Rust**
Any questions or idea?
## Overview
Theta is an **ergonomic** yet **minimal** and **performant** application framework based on actor model.
- **Async Actor**
- An actor instance is a very thin wrapper around a `tokio::task` and two MPMC channels.
- `ActorRef` is just a single pointer(MPMC sender).
- **Built-in remote**
- Distributed actor system powered by P2P network, `iroh`.
- Even `ActorRef` could be passed across network boundary as regular data in message.
- Available with feature `remote`.
- **Built-in monitoring**
- "Monitor" suggested by Carl Hewitt's Actor Model is implemented as (possibly remote) monitoring feature.
- Available with feature `monitor`.
- **Built-in persistence**
- Seamless respawn of actor from snapshot on file system, AWS S3 etc.
- Available with feature `persistence`.
- **WASM/Browser support**
- See `examples/web-chat/` for a working P2P chat demo.
## Example
```sh
cargo add theta
```
```rust
use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
use theta::prelude::*;
#[derive(Debug, Clone, ActorArgs)]
struct Counter {
value: i64,
}
#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
pub struct GetValue;
#[actor("96d9901f-24fc-4d82-8eb8-023153d41074")]
impl Actor for Counter {
type View = Nil;
// Behaviors will generate single enum Msg for the actor
const _: () = async |amount: i64| {
self.value += amount;
};
const _: () = async |_: GetValue| -> i64 { self.value };
}
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
let ctx = RootContext::init_local();
let counter = ctx.spawn(Counter { value: 0 });
let _ = counter.tell(5); // Fire-and-forget
let current = counter.ask(GetValue).await?; // Wait for response
println!("Current value: {current}"); // Current value: 5
Ok(())
}
```
## 🚧 WIP
Theta is currently under active development and API is subject to change. Not yet recommended for any serious business.
### Todo
- Core
- [x] Make `Result::Err` implementing `std::fmt::Display` on `tell` to be logged as `tracing::error!` to prevent silent failure or code duplication
- [x] Use concurrent hashmap
- [ ] Fix duplicated removing disconnected peer message
- Macros
- [ ] Make `actor` macro to take identifier as `ActorId`
- Supervision
- [ ] Factor out supervision as a optional feature
- Remote
- [x] Define lifetime behavior of exported actors (Currently, exported actor will never get dropped)
- [x] Deduplicate simultanious connection attempt to each other
- [ ] Support full NodeAddr including Url format definition and sharing routing information between peers
- Persistence
- [x] Cover partial persistence case; some could be stored in storage, but some data should be passed in runtime
- [x] Have respawn API to take closure, not value.
- Actor pool
- [ ] Actor pool (task stealing with anonymous dynamic actors and MPMC)
## License
Licensed under the [MIT License](LICENSE).