Erlang’s epp preprocesses Erlang source during compilation; Elixir’s interoperability with Erlang means Elixir code can use Erlang modules on the Erlang VM. Those are related, but not the same: sharing a runtime does not by itself establish that Elixir source can consume every Erlang preprocessor directive, .hrl file, or macro.
What the Erlang preprocessor does
Erlang’s epp is a compile-time source-processing step. It handles file inclusion, macro expansion, and conditional compilation before the source is parsed. It is not a runtime bridge between Erlang and Elixir. The Erlang epp reference describes this role.
Macros and included headers
An Erlang -define directive creates a macro, and ?Name invokes it. Definitions must appear before use, and expansion happens during compilation. Shared definitions, including records and macros, are commonly stored in header files with the .hrl extension.
The -include directive inserts a file at the directive’s location. -include_lib resolves a file from an application’s library directory. Include search paths and conditional-compilation directives affect which source is included and compiled. Consult the Erlang macro and preprocessor documentation for the compiler’s exact rules.
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To produce a listing after preprocessing and parse transforms, Erlang’s compiler supports the 'P' option. For example, compile:file("my_module.erl", ['P']). This can help diagnose which include files, macro expansions, or conditional branches reached the later compiler stages.
What Elixir interoperability with Erlang means
Elixir runs on the Erlang virtual machine and is compatible with OTP. Elixir applications can call Erlang modules, making Erlang’s ecosystem available without making the two languages’ source syntax identical. The Elixir team’s design-goals article explains the same-VM relationship.
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Interoperability can also mean crossing a different boundary—for example, calling native code, communicating with another operating-system process, or sending messages between runtime nodes. Those choices differ in call style, isolation, and operational risk.
| Mechanism | Boundary and communication | Key trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Calling an Erlang module | Same Erlang VM; direct module/function calls | Language-level integration. It does not mean Erlang preprocessing syntax is accepted in Elixir source. |
| NIF | Native code called directly within the VM process and memory space | Useful for performance-critical or system-level code, but faulty native code can compromise VM stability and error-handling guarantees. |
| Port | Communication with a separate operating-system process, typically through process I/O | Process separation provides isolation from the VM, with the operational work of managing a separate process and its communication. |
| Distributed node | Communication across runtime nodes through networked message passing | Adds runtime and network boundaries to operations and failure handling. |
In “Interoperability in 2025: beyond the Erlang VM,” authors Wojtek Mach and José Valim write: “NIFs allow us to write performance-critical or system-level code and call it directly from Erlang and Elixir as if it were a regular function.” The same article cautions that NIFs run in the VM process, so native-code faults can affect VM stability.
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Can Elixir source use Erlang .hrl files and macros?
Do not assume the answer from the runtime relationship alone. Erlang documentation specifies how Erlang’s compiler handles .hrl files and preprocessor macros; Elixir documentation establishes Elixir’s access to Erlang modules. Those facts do not, by themselves, settle whether a particular Elixir compiler version or build setup can consume an Erlang header or macro, or under what rules.
For a project that depends on this boundary, verify the exact Elixir release, compiler feature, and build configuration against its primary documentation or a minimal example using that toolchain. Establish which compiler processes the file and whether the required directives are supported. Do not treat an Erlang function call from Elixir as evidence that Erlang source directives work in Elixir code.
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Check Elixir and OTP compatibility
Compatibility is release-specific. The Elixir documentation retrieved on October 4, 2026 lists Elixir v1.20.4 as stable and Erlang/OTP 27, 28, and 29 as supported. The Elixir installation page says Elixir v1.20.4 requires OTP 27.0 or later. Check the current Elixir documentation and installation guidance before choosing versions, because support changes over time.
Documentation interoperability has also developed over time. The Elixir v1.7 release article says that release implemented EEP 48, an effort to make documentation interoperable across languages on the Erlang VM. The v1.11 release article noted that IEx could display Erlang module documentation with Erlang/OTP 23 or later when the Erlang modules had documentation chunks. These are historical release details, not guarantees that every current project has the required documentation available: Elixir v1.7 release and Elixir v1.11 release.
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