RESTfer

RESTfer is a conceptual framework that explores the integration of RESTful architectural principles with the functional programming paradigm. The name is a portmanteau of REST (Representational State Transfer) and functional programming. The core idea behind RESTfer is to leverage the statelessness, client-server separation, and uniform interface characteristics of REST to build more robust and maintainable applications using functional programming techniques.

In a RESTfer approach, resources are still represented and manipulated through standard HTTP methods. However, the operations performed on these resources are treated as pure functions. This means that functions have no side effects and always produce the same output for the same input. This functional purity can lead to improved predictability, easier testing, and better concurrency management within a distributed system.

Key characteristics of RESTfer might include immutable resource representations and a focus on composing operations as a series of function calls. Instead of modifying state directly, operations would return new states or representations. This aligns with the immutability principle often found in functional programming languages. While not a formally defined standard, RESTfer represents an ongoing discussion and experimentation in software architecture, aiming to combine the strengths of two influential programming paradigms to create more resilient and scalable web services.