Functional Web App

Functional Web App (FWA) is an architectural pattern for building web applications and APIs. It empowers developers with the flexibility of dynamic, full-stack applications paired with the ease of scaling a static website.

The three facets
of the Functional Web App

Why build a Functional Web App?

The Functional Web App approach offers unique characteristics that may be desirable for evolving your existing application or building your next:

  • Anyone can build

    FWAs do not require any specific domain expertise or specialization to build or manage. Anyone with a basic understanding of web development is capable of creating a fully-realized FWA.

  • Focus on your code

    FWAs are easier to develop, maintain, debug, and deliver than traditional dynamic full-stack web applications, giving them a significantly lower overall total cost of ownership.

  • Reliable and reproducable

    FWAs logical architecture is identical to the deployed physical architecture without complicated developer environments, improving velocity and reducing time to bug resolution.

  • Code runs in isolation

    FWA code runs in isolation, ensuring unrelated code is never run in the same process, thereby reducing bug surface area and potential security issues.

  • Power and flexibility

    FWAs combine the power and flexibility of dynamic, full-stack web applications with the ease and simplicity of scaling a static website.

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Acknowledgments

Written by Brian LeRoux & Ryan Block from Begin, with help from Frances Berriman, Kristofer Joseph, James Lindenbaum, & Dana Oshiro