Some possible ideas for making dataflow easier with Future

akka-dataflow.diff

diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Future.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Future.scala
index cfe64a8..f1fb976 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Future.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Future.scala
@@ -217,6 +217,15 @@ object Future {
     dispatcher.dispatchFuture(FutureInvocation(f.asInstanceOf[CompletableFuture[Any]], () => body))
     f
   }
+
+  def task(body: => Unit, timeout: Long = Actor.TIMEOUT)(implicit dispatcher: MessageDispatcher): Future[Unit] =
+    apply(body, timeout)(dispatcher)
+
+  def promise[T](timeout: Long = Actor.TIMEOUT): CompletableFuture[T] =
+    new DefaultCompletableFuture[T](timeout)
+
+  def value[T](in: Either[Throwable,T]): Future[T] =
+    new AlreadyCompletedFuture(in)
 }
 
 sealed trait Future[+T] {
@@ -335,6 +344,14 @@ sealed trait Future[+T] {
     }
   }
 
+  final def onException(pf: PartialFunction[Throwable, Unit]): Future[T] =  onComplete { f =>
+    val opte = f.exception
+    if (opte.isDefined) {
+      val e = opte.get
+      if (pf.isDefinedAt(e)) pf(e)
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Creates a new Future by applying a PartialFunction to the successful
    * result of this Future if a match is found, or else return a MatchError.
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala b/akka-actor/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala
index a946713..afa7f26 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala
@@ -364,16 +364,16 @@ class FutureSpec extends JUnitSuite {
   }
 
   @Test def lesslessIsMore {
-    import akka.actor.Actor.spawn
-    val dataflowVar, dataflowVar2 = new DefaultCompletableFuture[Int](Long.MaxValue)
+    import Future.task
+    val dataflowVar, dataflowVar2 = Future.promise[Int]()
     val begin, end = new StandardLatch
-    spawn {
+    task {
       begin.await
       dataflowVar2 << dataflowVar
       end.open
     }
 
-    spawn {
+    task {
       dataflowVar << 5
     }
     begin.open