Model View Controller
The Model View Controller (MVC) architecture is a software design pattern used to separate an application's concerns into three interconnected components:
- Model: Represents the application's data, business logic, and rules. It directly manages the data and handles interactions with the database or other storage mechanisms.
- View: Displays the data to the user. It retrieves data from the Model and renders it for interaction. The View is solely responsible for the presentation layer. In the case of this project, the presentation layer is the JSON responses from the API.
- Controller: Acts as an intermediary between the Model and the View. It processes user inputs, manipulates the data in the Model, and updates the View accordingly.
This pattern was popularised by web frameworks such as Ruby on Rails, and Laravel. Whilst primarily use full for applications or websites, where a UI needs manager, it can also be used for API based services as well, with the acknowledgment that the view layer is under utilised.
Workflow in MVC
- User Interaction: The user interacts with the View (e.g., clicking a button, submitting a form, or submitting an API request).
- Controller Handles Input: The Controller interprets the input and decides how to process it.
- Model Updates: The Controller updates the Model, performing data manipulation or business logic.
- View Updates: The Model notifies the View of changes, and the View returns or updates the UI to reflect the new data.
Advantages of MVC
- Separation of Concerns: Clear separation between data, UI, and control logic simplifies development and maintenance.
- Reusability: Models can be reused across different Views, and Views can present data differently without altering the Model.
- Scalability: MVC allows for easier scaling of applications due to its modular structure.
- Improved Collaboration: Developers working on different components (Model, View, or Controller) can work simultaneously without overlapping responsibilities.
- Testability: With clear component boundaries, unit testing and debugging are more straightforward.
- Flexibility: Enables the use of multiple Views for the same Model (e.g., web, mobile, and desktop interfaces).
Disadvantages of MVC
- Complexity: The separation can introduce complexity, especially for smaller or simpler applications.
- Steeper Learning Curve: Developers need to understand the interaction between the three components and implement them properly.
- Overhead: Extra layers of abstraction can slow down development and may introduce performance overhead.
- Tight Coupling: Although the architecture aims for separation, the components are interdependent, especially the Controller, which needs to communicate with both the Model and the View.
Use Cases
- Ideal for large-scale applications where maintainability and scalability are critical.
- Very well suited for websites and content management systems.
By balancing its modular advantages with the complexity it introduces, MVC remains one of the most popular architectural patterns for software development.
