End of Part 1

That’s most of the Elixir you need to know in order to understand a basic Phoenix app.

There’s plenty of Elixir that I’ve left out, including some stuff that’s used within Phoenix. I’ve left out several commonly-used things like Enum.map and anonymous functions because we’re going to get pretty far into our app before we start needing them. And of course there’s all the advanced topics- Channels, Metaprogramming, OTP, etc.- because while they’re really cool, they have no place at the start of a beginner’s guide. Finally, I’ve left out some of the more project-focused stuff- Import, Use, configuration files, various mix commands- because those are better understood while in the context of a full Phoenix app.

What that means is that our crash course in Elixir is finished- it’s time to get started building a Phoenix app!

Captain’s Log: more Elixir resources.

I have heard tell of great stores of knowledge, locked away in interconnected datapads and inscribed upon dead lumber. Here are the rumors which I hear most strongly:

• Programming Elixir 1.6- An excellent book for programming language nerds and others who want to geek out on details of the Elixir language.
• Programming Phoenix 1.4- A book which quickly and efficiently introduces the major parts of the Phoenix framework. It’s meant for advanced coders who are familiar with Elixir and with backend web frameworks such as Rails or Laravel.

Were I a younger captain I might go seeking after these sources of knowledge myself, but I am lucky to have discovered even this one document, and in my age I know that deciphering it is much more important than some fool’s errand. We must know how the Phoenix-class ships were constructed!