Monlet

A Monlet is a hypothetical or conceptual unit of code, smaller than a component or module, that encapsulates a single, highly specific piece of functionality. Unlike a microservice, a monlet is not necessarily a deployable unit on its own and typically operates within a larger system or application. The term is not widely established in formal computer science or software engineering literature, and its meaning can vary depending on the context.

The general idea behind a monlet is to promote extreme modularity and separation of concerns. It aims to isolate individual tasks or operations into self-contained units, making the overall system easier to understand, maintain, and potentially reuse parts of.

While the concept shares similarities with functions or methods, a monlet may imply a more substantial level of encapsulation, potentially including its own state or resources, even if small. Furthermore, unlike established design patterns like "command," monlet describes a unit with a focus on granularity, but doesn't specify a particular implementation pattern.

The potential benefits of a monlet-based architecture include:

• Reduced Complexity: Breaking down a large problem into smaller, more manageable monlets can simplify the overall system architecture.
• Increased Reusability: Well-defined monlets can be easily reused in different parts of the application or even in other projects.
• Improved Testability: Due to their isolated nature, monlets can be easily tested in isolation.
• Enhanced Maintainability: Changes to one monlet are less likely to affect other parts of the system.

However, potential drawbacks exist:

• Increased Overhead: Managing a large number of monlets can introduce overhead in terms of communication, configuration, and deployment.
• Complexity in Integration: Properly integrating and coordinating the execution of many monlets can become complex.
• Risk of Over-Abstraction: Over-fragmentation into too many tiny monlets can lead to unnecessary complexity and reduced readability.

The term "monlet" is often used informally and is not standardized. It's important to clarify the intended meaning when using it in a specific context. Other related concepts include microservices, functions, modules, and components, each of which represents a different level of granularity and complexity.