What is an MVC Architecture?

MVC stands for Model, View, and Controller. Precisely, it is a software architectural pattern that breaks down an application into three logical components- the model, the view, and the controller, with each component handling a different aspect of the application. It was earlier used for desktop GUIs but is now used for designing web applications. Some of the web frameworks leveraging the MVC framework are Ruby on Rails, Symphony, and Laravel.

Let us walk you through the MVC components-

1. Model

The model represents the backend that encompasses all the data logic which could either be the data transferred between the view and controller components or any other business logic-related data. Simply put, the model’s responsibility is to maintain or manage the data whether it is from an API, database, or JSON Object.

2. View

The view represents the frontend and it decides what data will the users see and how. In other words, it deals with the UI logic of the application. Views are created by the data obtained from the model component, however, not directly but through the controller. It requests the model to pass the information so that it can be presented to the user.

3. Controller

The controller acts as the brain of the application and controls how the data is displayed to the user. Its job is to retrieve, modify, and provide data to the user. We can also say that a controller acts as a mediator between the model and the view component. It isn’t concerned about handling data logic, it just tells the model what to do. Once the controller receives data from the model, it processes it and sends it to the view component explaining how to represent that data to the user.

The Advantages of Using the MVC Architecture

Using the MVC pattern for your web project makes complex application development a relatively manageable process. It allows breaking down the frontend and backend code into separate components, which in turn makes it easier for developers to update changes on either side without the components interfering with each other.

However, this may not be as easy as it seems. It can bring certain challenges when several developers have to update, modify or debug an application at the same time.

Here are some major benefits of using the MVC framework for your project.

1. Helps Organize Large-Scale Applications

Since an MVC architecture divides the application into three levels, it becomes easier to organize the web application logic into large-size web applications. The perk of using such code practice is it helps in finding specific portions of the code quickly and allows incorporating any new functionality with ease.

2. Faster Development

The MVC model allows developers to work parallelly. While building a web application, if one programmer is working on the view component, the other can work on the controller component to create the business logic of the application. Ultimately, using the MVC architectural pattern for your project can help develop the application three times faster than using any other architectural pattern.

3. Easy Modification

Another benefit of using the MVC pattern for your software application project is that it allows you to make modifications quite easily. An application may undergo several user interface changes during development be it in the form of colors, fonts, screen layout, etc. However, using an MVC pattern simplifies adding or updating a new type of view. As the model component does not have any dependency on the view component, any changes in the latter won’t affect the entire architecture. This eventually helps increase the application’s scalability and flexibility.

4. Supports Asynchronous Method Invocation (AMI)

The MVC framework shares a good bond with the JavaScript frameworks, so it comes as no surprise that it offers support for asynchronous method invocation that helps developers build fast-loading web apps. This implies that the applications built using the MVC architecture can be made to work even with pdf files, desktop widgets, or site-specific browsers.

5. Returns Unformatted Data

The MVC architecture returns the data without formatting it. This enables you to use and call either of the components or the same components and put them into use with many interfaces.

Some other benefits of MVC architecture include easy code maintenance, great support for test-driven development, the ability to create multiple views, SEO-friendliness, and it also offers a clean separation of concerns (SoC), and since all objects and classes are independent of each other, they can be tested separately.

The Drawbacks Associated with the MVC Architecture

While the MVC framework offers plenty of benefits, it has a few drawbacks as well.

1. Hard to Understand

Understanding the MVC architecture can be a bit daunting due to its complex structure. You may find it a bit tricky to keep up with all the components and UI code for the same.

2. Frequent Updates

The MVC architecture frequently updates with a new extent of indirection, which further increases the complexity of the solution. Additionally, the UI code increase too which may create issues at the time of debugging.

Summing Up

Modern web applications possess a lot of complexity, even a slight change can make the development troublesome. That’s where using the MVC architecture for your application project can be of great help. It divides the frontend and backend into separate components, which not only allows managing them comfortably but also allows the application to be scalable, maintainable, and expandable. It’s a great option to utilize for developing web applications and is leveraged by several enterprises today.

If you have any confusion or doubts regarding MVC, feel free to ask in the comments below.