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iex:tldr:8b818
The command "iex" stands for "Interactive Elixir". Elixir is a programming language that runs on the Erlang Virtual Machine. IEX is the interactive shell for Elixir, which allows you to directly execute Elixir code and interact with it in a live environment.
When you run the "iex" command in your terminal or command prompt, it launches the Elixir interactive shell, providing you with a prompt where you can enter Elixir expressions and statements. It is a REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop) environment, meaning it reads your inputs, evaluates them, prints any resulting output, and then awaits your next input.
Using the iex shell, you can quickly test pieces of code, experiment with Elixir features, and interactively debug your applications. It provides various features like tab-completion, history navigation, documentation access, and the ability to define and execute functions on-the-fly.
Through the iex shell, you can load and execute Elixir scripts, define modules, functions, and variables, and perform various operations using the Elixir standard library and other installed packages. It also gives you access to Erlang functions and modules, as Elixir is built on top of Erlang.
Overall, "iex" is a command that launches the interactive Elixir shell, allowing you to interactively write and execute Elixir code.