MVC: The Distinction Your Model Needs

In this webbed world of data and information, if you are a tiny spiderling or a hunting spider, you must have come across the term MVC architecture.

 

Come and have a glance at what we mean by the architecture and why we depend on it for our models. 

 

Table of Contents:

 

• What is an architectural pattern?

• What is MVC?

• Composition

• Model

• View

• Controller

• Data Flow

• Why MVC?

• Benefits of MVC

• Real-life implementations

• Demerits of MVC

• Conclusion 

 

What is an architectural pattern?

 

An architectural pattern refers to a framework which is responsible for the whole shape and functioning of our application or website.

 

We have to note that MVC is an architectural pattern and not a design pattern.

 

The MVC pattern defines how the application’s data is processed from data requested by a user till final product or information delivery back to the user.

 

However, a design pattern only specifies the functioning of a specific function in an application, such as,

If we create a website for tracking the position of trains, an XYZ design pattern may contain the logic to take input, an algorithm to find a specific train or display style of the output. 

 

Also Read | 4 Phases of Project Life Cycle

 

What is MVC? 

 

MVC stands for Model, View, and Controller architecture, and this is what we call a separation of concerns as this architecture segregates our framework into these segments.  

 

It is an architectural pattern and not a design pattern as it helps to decide the whole framework of our system and not just focus on a specific task. 

 

Composition

 

The MVC architecture consists of three components—Model, View, and Controller. 

 

1. Model  

 

This component of the architecture is the one that interacts with the raw data by implementing any business logic. 

 

Responsibilities: 

 

1. Interaction with raw data 

2. Contains business logic. 

 

When a user asks for any kind of data from the server, this component is provided with the necessary information and works on retrieving the data from the database. It performs different business logics for the retrieval and finally passes the data back to the controller. 

 

2. View 

 

This component of the architecture is responsible for interaction with the user; moreover, it is the GUI of our system/model. 

 

Responsibilities: 

 

1. User interaction  

2. Contains data presentation techniques.  

 

The data passed by the model from the database to the controller and then to the view is not human-friendly or human-readable data, which means there is a need to present this data in a much simpler and attractive form so that the user can get his/her desired output, and this is the function of the view part of the architecture. 

 

 

3. Controller 

 

This component is as similar as the mind of our human body. It is responsible for the communication between the components of the architecture as well as the input handling. 

 

Responsibilities:  

 

1. Interaction of View and Model 

2. Taking input from the client  

 

When a client request is generated for the server, the controller receives the demands and inputs first and, accordingly, asks the model to retrieve the information from the database. After the retrieval, when the data comes back to the controller, the data is redirected to view for presentation. 

 

 

 

Data Flow 

 

The flow of data can be simply presented by 

 

Client->Controller->Model->Controller->View->User. 

 

When the client requests the server for information, the input is first sent to the controller, which (according to the demand) passes the input to the model for accessing the database. After the retrieval of data, the data is sent back to the controller where it is again transferred to the view section for presentation, and finally the data is provided to the user through view. 

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Data Flow in MVC Architecture

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Why MVC? 

 

Many of you might be thinking "Why MVC?", "Why can't we directly access the information?", etc.  

 

We have other methods of structuring our models, like MVVM or the simplest brute-force structuring method, but we chose the MVC architecture for a specific application or model due to the numerous features that reside within.

 

For instance,

If we consider making a small dynamic website where multiple developers are engaged to develop various features, the MVC structure is our go-through method.

 

This is because the MVC structure provides us with modularity, which helps us develop the website in a much faster way as different developers can develop their bits independently of each other at the same time. It provides us with easy editing and testability as the website can be fragmented easily and then tested as small modules.

 

There are many more features (discussed below) which justify the usage of the MVC architecture.

 

Let's have a look at the benefits that MVC provides us:

 

 

Benefits of MVC: 

 

1. Less Interdependency  

 

The fact that these three components are not closely related, dependent, or coupled with one another speeds up the development process. This can be proven by the fact that different teams or individuals can develop each component at the same time and at their own pace.  

 

2. Compatibility 

 

If we look closely at the architecture or the components, we sense that there is a high support background for each of the components. Each of the components supports the other two and sticks together for the better functioning of the system. 

 

3. Supports AMI 

 

The fact that MVC supports asynchronous method invocation encourages the developers to build quick loads and data retrieval facilities. 

 

4. Modularity

 

The segmentation of the architecture makes way for the developers to debug or edit data much more easily. 

 

5. Multiview development 

 

MVC architecture provides us with the ability to develop different components for our model view. As we can witness an ever increasing demand for multiple access portals or multiple views for a website or application, MVC structure helps us to meet the demands in a much simpler way.

  

There are many more advantages to the MVC architecture which make its use a wiser and, moreover, a must-choice for developers.  

 

Also Read | What is Agile Software Development

 

 

Real-life implementation of MVC:

 

If we observe the working of MVC architecture with keen eyes, we see that MVC architecture is not only limited to websites/applications, rather it is used in our daily life as well at places where people don’t even know about the structure.

 

By this we can also comment that MVC structure is very simplified and easy to implement as it can be implemented by even an ullettered.

For instance,

 

1. Car driving mechanism-

 

In a car's driving mechanism,

The driver uses the clutch, accelerator, brake, and gearbox for driving.

These components have a direct connection to the engine, which is responsible for the movement of the vehicle, or we can say the movement of the tyres. The engine draws the diesel/petrol/gas from the fuel tank and uses it to move the car.

The fuel tank has access to diesel, petrol, and gas in the car. 

The resources, or raw materials, on which the car runs are the diesel, gasoline, and gas filled in the car.

 

From the above description, we can conclude that

The gearbox, brake, accelerator, and clutch act as the VIEW, as the user controls the car from these components.

The engine acts as the CONTROLLER, which provides communication between the view and the model.

The fuel tank acts as the MODEL which communicates with the raw material (database), i.e., diesel, petrol, gas.

 

MODEL	VIEW	CONTROLLER
Fuel tank	Gearbox, accelerator, brake, clutch	Engine

 

Here we can also observe the multiview feature provided by the MVC architecture as there are different components of the view structure.

 

2. Restaurant

 

MODEL	VIEW	CONTROLLER
Chefs	Menu card	Waiter

 

 

3. Code compiling systems

 

MODEL	VIEW	CONTROLLER
Registers	Output terminal	Compiler

 

 

4. HR Management

 

MODEL	VIEW	CONTROLLER
Company	Recruitments, promotions, etc.	HR Manager

 

 

Demerits of MVC

 

Till now we observed why MVC is used so widely among users and different domains of users.

 

But as with any other technology, this framework also possesses some demerits which can be enhanced to make better softwares and which can work more efficiently than this framework.

 

Here we take a look at some of its demerits:

 

1. Increased complexity

 

With increasing layers in the model, sometimes the code becomes complex and we may find it difficult to debug. Modularity techniques are the key to dodge the concern.

 

2. High cost of updation

 

As the model is separated into different components, updating or maintenance of all the components becomes costly. As the no. of components increase, the risk of inaccuracy increases which results in regular updation.

 

3. Hard to understand

 

An MVC application can be hard to understand due to the number of layers introduced within and resulting in difficult debugging or remote managing. 

 

4. Knowledge of multiple technologies

 

As the framework segregated our model into different independent components, each component runs on some different technology or language which has to be integrated at the end. Due to this the developer should be able to control the technologies of every component.

 

Also Read | 10 Types of Software Testing

 

 

Conclusion 

 

By reading this so far, you must have noticed the advantages of using an MVC architecture because of the way it is implemented worldwide by web developers, software developers, etc.

 

Now let's take a look at what all we have summarized so far about the MVC framework.

 

• The MVC architecture is an architectural pattern and not a design pattern which provides the pathway for processing the whole data from request till the output delivery.

• This architecture segregates our model into three components namely - Model, View, and Controller.

• These components work independently to combine at the end for smooth functioning of the model.

 

• Model-  This component of the architecture is the one that interacts with the raw data by implementing any business logic. When a user asks for any kind of data from the server, this component is provided with the necessary information and works on retrieving the data from the database. It performs different business logics for the retrieval and finally passes the data back to the controller.

 

• View- This component of the architecture is responsible for interaction with the user; moreover, it is the GUI of our system/model. The data passed by the model from the database to the controller and then to the view is not human-friendly or human-readable data, which means there is a need to present this data in a much simpler and attractive form so that the user can get his/her desired output, and this is the function of the view part of the architecture.

 

• Controller- This component is as similar as the mind of our human body. It is responsible for the communication between the components of the architecture as well as the input handling. When a client request is generated for the server, the controller receives the demands and inputs first and, accordingly, asks the model to retrieve the information from the database. After the retrieval, when the data comes back to the controller, the data is redirected to view for presentation. 

 

• The flow of data can be simply presented by Client->Controller->Model->Controller->View->User.

 

• MVC architecture is widely used in application/website development as well real-life situations like restaurants, car driving mechanisms, etc.

• MVC vs Brute-force approach - MVC, at any case, provides us with better efficiency than brute-force approach as MVC manages resources in a much better way than directly accessing raw data.

 

Moreover, It molds our model into an optimal development strategy just like any algorithm affects a brute force approach. 

 

But just like the way implementing an algorithm is more complex than following a brute force approach, the implementation of the MVC architecture becomes difficult at times, but in the end…

 

Would you choose an inefficient brute force approach or an optimal algorithm for your problem?