Root Actor

Like C has a main() function, Acton has a root actor. To compile a binary executable, there must be a root actor. Per default, if a source (.act) file contains an actor named main, it will be used as the root actor but it can also be specified using the --root argument. While the convention is to call the root actor main, you are free to name it anything.

Given this Acton program:

actor main(env):
    print("Hello World!")
    env.exit(0)

The following actonc commands will all produce the same output.

actonc hello.act
actonc hello.act --root main
actonc hello.act --root hello.main

The first invocation relies on the default rule of using an actor called main. The second invocation explicitly specifies that we want to use main as the root actor while the third uses a qualified name which includes both the actor name (main) as well as the module name (hello). Using qualified names can be particularly useful when building executable binaries in projects.

A normal Acton program consists of many actors that are structured in a hierarchical tree. The root actor is at the root of the tree and is responsible for starting all other actors directly or indirectly. The Acton Run Time System (RTS) will bootstrap the root actor.

Any executable Acton program must have a root actor defined. Acton libraries (that are included in an another Acton program), do not need a root actor.