Model-View-Controller

Summary and examples

Overview of the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture:

The Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern, separates the application into three main components
(separation of concerns): the Model, View, and Controller

Model: Represents the data and business logic of the application. Model encapsulates the data and
defines the behavior and rules for manipulating it.

View: Handles the presentation layer and user interface, providing a visual representation of the data.
View presents the data to the user and captures user input.

Controller: Acts as an intermediary between the Model and View, facilitating communication and
handling user interactions. Controller receives user input, updates the Model accordingly, and
synchronizes the changes with the View.

This figure illustrates the interaction between Model, View, and Controller.

This figure illustrates the flow of handling the user's request across the web in an MCV model.

These points highlight the roles and responsibilities of each component in the MVC pattern, emphasizing
the separation of concerns and the flow of data and interactions within the architecture.
Benefits of using the MVC Pattern
1. Modularity: The MVC pattern promotes modularity, code reusability, and maintainability by
separating the different aspects of an application.
2. Scalability: It enhances scalability by allowing independent development and modification of
the Model, View, and Controller components.
3. Collaboration: The MVC pattern also supports collaboration among developers and improves
the overall organization of the software project.
4. Testability: The MVC pattern facilitates unit testing as each component can be tested
independently. The Model, View, and Controller can be tested separately, ensuring that each
component functions correctly and meets the desired behavior.

Blog Post Example

This example demonstrates the flow of events and data between the Model, View, and Controller in the
context of a blogging platform.

Example Use Case Diagram for Blog Posting Website

Example Traditional Analysis Class Diagram
(This is what a NON-MVC analysis class diagram would look for this Blogging Application example)
Simplified Example Class Diagram of Blog Website following the MVC Pattern
(This is a simplified version of an MVC implementation class diagram – missing some methods, attributes
and method parameters)
Example Sequence diagram for Creating a Blog Post.
Mermaid Live Example

Further Explanation of sequence for Creating a Blog Post

1. Event: User opens the view and submits a new blog post through a form in the View.
2. View:

 Displays a form to the user for entering blog post details.

 Captures the event of submitting the form.
 Sends the event to the Controller for processing.

3. Controller:

 Acts as the event handler for the View's form submission event (Post Comment).
 Receives the event from the View.
 Extracts the relevant data from the event (e.g., blog post title, content).
 Interacts with the Model to process the request.

4. Model:

 Represents the underlying data and business logic of the application.

 Receives the data from the Controller (blog post details).
 Performs necessary operations (e.g., data validation, persistence).
 Stores the blog post in the database (e.g., MySQL, MongoDB).

5. Database:

 Provides persistent storage for the blog post data.

 The Model interacts with the database to store and retrieve data as needed.

6. Model (response to the Controller):

 Sends a confirmation or error message back to the Controller.

 For example, if the blog post is successfully saved in the database, a success message is
returned.

7. Controller (response from the Model):

 Receives the response from the Model.

 Determines the appropriate action based on the response.
 Informs the View about the outcome (success or failure) and any necessary information
to display.

8. View (rendering):

 Updates the display based on the response received from the Controller.
 If the blog post was successfully saved, it may show a success message to the user.
 If there was an error, it may display an error message or prompt the user to correct the
input.