etaactbased

etaactbased is a term used in theoretical computer science and software architecture to describe a design and reasoning approach that fuses eta-conversion ideas from lambda calculus with act-based (actor-model) or action-centric design. The term combines 'eta' from the concept of eta-equivalence and 'act' or 'act-based' to emphasize behavior over internal structure.

In etaactbased systems, components are defined by their observable actions and their ability to substitute with behaviorally equivalent counterparts. The eta principle supports optional wrapper simplifications: a function f can be replaced by a wrapper that forwards all calls to f without changing external behavior, enabling refactoring and optimization. The act-based aspect stresses loose coupling, message passing, and concurrency through actors or agent-like entities.

Applications include formal methods, semantics of programming languages, and agent-based or event-driven architectures. It is used mainly in academic or experimental contexts to explore substitution properties, behavioral equivalence, and compositional reasoning about complex systems.

Status: There is no standard definition or canonical implementation; the term appears in speculative discussions rather than mainstream practice. Critics note the abstraction level can hinder practical adoption, and consensus on formalization is lacking.