Building software can be complex. You might not have to think much about it when building your side project, but production software differs. It can require multiple components, all of which if not handled correctly can lead to chaos. But it doesn't need to be this complex. In today's article we will be delving into the world of architectural patterns, and discuss some divides your software into 3 simple components, each focusing on related tasks. Architectural patterns Whenever we are talking about architectural patterns in software design, the first ones to top the list include architectures like client-server, layered, monolithic, microkernel, even-driven, etc. These patterns are concerned with overall system architecture, including multiple applications, services, servers, etc. However, MVP, MVC, and MVVM focus on organizing code within a single application by separating data, user interface, and logic. These are a subset of architecture patterns that focus on the overall system. MVC, MVP, and MVVM For the sake of keeping the blog readable and not exceeding the word length, we will focus on just the architectural patterns that organize the code within a single application, namely: Model-View-Controller
Model-View-Presenter
Model-View-ViewModel Clearly, all three models have two components fixed, i.e. the Model and the View. So let's first discuss them in detail before coming to each of the architecture. Model The model consists of all the code that is related to data present in the software. It's the layer for communication of the database and network layers with the rest of the application. Its main responsibilities include: Handle data and business logic.


Encapsulate the application's data and the rules governing access to that data.


Handling data structures.


Performing CRUD (Create, Read, Update, and Delete) operations on data. View View is pretty much the front end of your application or everything that the user will be able to see and interact with. It's also known as the User Interface (UI) of your application. Its responsibilities include: Handle non-business logic and purely presentational logic.


Present the data provided by other layers to the user.


Receive user input and forward it to other layers.


May or may communicate directly with the Model layer. Model-View-Controller (MVC) Architecture Now that we have an understanding of what Model and View layers do, let's take a look at individual architectural patterns. Starting with MVC, it uses a Controller layer that communicates with both the Model and View layers. It's main responsibilities of the controller include: Manipulating data through the Model layer.
Receive instructions, aka the UI, from the View layer.
Update the View with changes defined due to control logic. Here, although the View layer cannot directly interact with the Model layer, it can however receive updates based on changes in the data. Hence all three layers are connected to each other in some form, with the controller being the main component. Model-View-Presenter (MVP) Architecture Here, the Presenter layer assumes the functionality of the "middle-man" between the Model and View layers and handles all the communication between them. There is no communication at all between the Model and View layers directly. Its responsibilities include: Update the UI or the View layer based on user actions.


Update the data or Model layer based on code logic.


Handle much of the business logic that would be otherwise handled in the controller in MVC architecture. Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) Architecture This architecture at first glance is almost identical to MVP architecture. But there are some key differences between them: Multiple views can be mapped to a single ViewModel layer.


It uses data binding between the ViewModel layer and the View layer, making it more event-driven.


There is no concept of User Interface in this architecture. The View layer represents the actions of the user, not the interface. Side by Side comparison Aspect

MVC

MVP

MVVM



Full Name

Model-View-Controller

Model-View-Presenter

Model-View-ViewModel



Separation of Concerns

Basic

Better

Best



Data Flow

Two-way

One-way

One-way with data binding



View-Logic Relationship

Many-to-one

One-to-one

Many-to-one



Testability

Hard

Good

Best



Maintenance

Hard

Easy

Easy



Learning Curve

Easy

Easy

Harder



Performance

Can be slower due to tight coupling

Better performance with looser coupling

Smooth performance, especially for complex UIs



UI Updates

Controller updates View

Presenter updates View

ViewModel updates View through data binding



Dependency on UI Framework

High

Low

Low or no dependency



Scalability

Suitable for small-scale projects

Good for simple and complex projects

Ideal for large, data-heavy apps But which is the most popular you might ask? All of them are equally popular architectures being used according to the company's respective requirements for a product. Some companies adopting these different architectures are: MVC: StackOverflow, GoDaddy, Visual Studio website Dell
MVP: Google (for some Android apps)
MVVM: Apple (for some iOS apps using SwiftUI), Angular framework, Vue.js framework Also, many companies use a mix of these architectures depending on the specific needs of each project or product. The choice of architecture often depends on factors such as the complexity of the application, the development team's expertise, and the specific requirements of the project. Conclusion This article covered the basics of architectural patterns, from how overall architecture is designed to how a single application can be further divided into three components for better management and scalability. MVC, with its straightforward approach, remains popular for web applications.
MVP builds upon MVC's foundation, offering improved testability and a cleaner separation of concerns.
MVVM, the most recent of the three, has gained significant traction in modern application development. There is no clear winner between them and each pattern offers unique advantages and is suited to different projects and development scenarios. As the software development landscape continues to evolve, we may see further refinements of these patterns or the emergence of new architectures altogether. Want to learn more about the architectural patterns discussed? Here are some references I found helpful:

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/android-architecture-patterns/
https://www.masaischool.com/blog/comparing-software-architecture-patterns/
https://www.apptension.com/blog-posts/mvc-vs-mvvm-vs-mvp Building software can be complex. You might not have to think much about it when building your side project, but production software differs. It can require multiple components, all of which if not handled correctly can lead to chaos. But it doesn't need to be this complex. In today's article we will be delving into the world of architectural patterns, and discuss some divides your software into 3 simple components, each focusing on related tasks. Architectural patterns Whenever we are talking about architectural patterns in software design, the first ones to top the list include architectures like client-server, layered, monolithic, microkernel, even-driven, etc. These patterns are concerned with overall system architecture, including multiple applications, services, servers, etc. However, MVP, MVC, and MVVM focus on organizing code within a single application by separating data, user interface, and logic. These are a subset of architecture patterns that focus on the overall system. MVC, MVP, and MVVM For the sake of keeping the blog readable and not exceeding the word length, we will focus on just the architectural patterns that organize the code within a single application, namely: Model-View-Controller Model-View-Presenter Model-View-ViewModel Model-View-Controller Model-View-Presenter Model-View-ViewModel Clearly, all three models have two components fixed, i.e. the Model and the View. So let's first discuss them in detail before coming to each of the architecture. Model The model consists of all the code that is related to data present in the software. It's the layer for communication of the database and network layers with the rest of the application. Its main responsibilities include: data Handle data and business logic. Encapsulate the application's data and the rules governing access to that data. Handling data structures. Performing CRUD (Create, Read, Update, and Delete) operations on data. Handle data and business logic. Handle data and business logic. Encapsulate the application's data and the rules governing access to that data. Encapsulate the application's data and the rules governing access to that data. Handling data structures. Handling data structures. Performing CRUD (Create, Read, Update, and Delete) operations on data. Performing CRUD (Create, Read, Update, and Delete) operations on data. View View is pretty much the front end of your application or everything that the user will be able to see and interact with. It's also known as the User Interface (UI) of your application. Its responsibilities include: Handle non-business logic and purely presentational logic. Present the data provided by other layers to the user. Receive user input and forward it to other layers. May or may communicate directly with the Model layer. Handle non-business logic and purely presentational logic. Handle non-business logic and purely presentational logic. Present the data provided by other layers to the user. Present the data provided by other layers to the user. Receive user input and forward it to other layers. Receive user input and forward it to other layers. May or may communicate directly with the Model layer. May or may communicate directly with the Model layer. Model-View-Controller (MVC) Architecture Now that we have an understanding of what Model and View layers do, let's take a look at individual architectural patterns. Starting with MVC, it uses a Controller layer that communicates with both the Model and View layers. Controller It's main responsibilities of the controller include: Manipulating data through the Model layer. Receive instructions, aka the UI, from the View layer. Update the View with changes defined due to control logic. Manipulating data through the Model layer. Receive instructions, aka the UI, from the View layer. Update the View with changes defined due to control logic. Here, although the View layer cannot directly interact with the Model layer, it can however receive updates based on changes in the data. Hence all three layers are connected to each other in some form, with the controller being the main component. Model-View-Presenter (MVP) Architecture Here, the Presenter layer assumes the functionality of the "middle-man" between the Model and View layers and handles all the communication between them. There is no communication at all between the Model and View layers directly. Its responsibilities include: Update the UI or the View layer based on user actions. Update the data or Model layer based on code logic. Handle much of the business logic that would be otherwise handled in the controller in MVC architecture. Update the UI or the View layer based on user actions. Update the UI or the View layer based on user actions. Update the data or Model layer based on code logic. Update the data or Model layer based on code logic. Handle much of the business logic that would be otherwise handled in the controller in MVC architecture. Handle much of the business logic that would be otherwise handled in the controller in MVC architecture. Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) Architecture This architecture at first glance is almost identical to MVP architecture. But there are some key differences between them: Multiple views can be mapped to a single ViewModel layer. It uses data binding between the ViewModel layer and the View layer, making it more event-driven. There is no concept of User Interface in this architecture. The View layer represents the actions of the user, not the interface. Multiple views can be mapped to a single ViewModel layer. Multiple views can be mapped to a single ViewModel layer. It uses data binding between the ViewModel layer and the View layer, making it more event-driven. It uses data binding between the ViewModel layer and the View layer, making it more event-driven. There is no concept of User Interface in this architecture. The View layer represents the actions of the user, not the interface. There is no concept of User Interface in this architecture. The View layer represents the actions of the user, not the interface. Side by Side comparison Aspect

MVC

MVP

MVVM



Full Name

Model-View-Controller

Model-View-Presenter

Model-View-ViewModel



Separation of Concerns

Basic

Better

Best



Data Flow

Two-way

One-way

One-way with data binding



View-Logic Relationship

Many-to-one

One-to-one

Many-to-one



Testability

Hard

Good

Best



Maintenance

Hard

Easy

Easy



Learning Curve

Easy

Easy

Harder



Performance

Can be slower due to tight coupling

Better performance with looser coupling

Smooth performance, especially for complex UIs



UI Updates

Controller updates View

Presenter updates View

ViewModel updates View through data binding



Dependency on UI Framework

High

Low

Low or no dependency



Scalability

Suitable for small-scale projects

Good for simple and complex projects

Ideal for large, data-heavy apps Aspect

MVC

MVP

MVVM Full Name

Model-View-Controller

Model-View-Presenter

Model-View-ViewModel Separation of Concerns

Basic

Better

Best Data Flow

Two-way

One-way

One-way with data binding View-Logic Relationship

Many-to-one

One-to-one

Many-to-one Testability

Hard

Good

Best Maintenance

Hard

Easy

Easy Learning Curve

Easy

Easy

Harder Performance

Can be slower due to tight coupling

Better performance with looser coupling

Smooth performance, especially for complex UIs UI Updates

Controller updates View

Presenter updates View

ViewModel updates View through data binding Dependency on UI Framework

High

Low

Low or no dependency Scalability

Suitable for small-scale projects

Good for simple and complex projects

Ideal for large, data-heavy apps Aspect MVC MVP MVVM Aspect Aspect MVC MVC MVP MVP MVVM MVVM Full Name Model-View-Controller Model-View-Presenter Model-View-ViewModel Full Name Full Name Model-View-Controller Model-View-Controller Model-View-Presenter Model-View-Presenter Model-View-ViewModel Model-View-ViewModel Separation of Concerns Basic Better Best Separation of Concerns Separation of Concerns Basic Basic Better Better Best Best Data Flow Two-way One-way One-way with data binding Data Flow Data Flow Two-way Two-way One-way One-way One-way with data binding One-way with data binding View-Logic Relationship Many-to-one One-to-one Many-to-one View-Logic Relationship View-Logic Relationship Many-to-one Many-to-one One-to-one One-to-one Many-to-one Many-to-one Testability Hard Good Best Testability Testability Hard Hard Good Good Best Best Maintenance Hard Easy Easy Maintenance Maintenance Hard Hard Easy Easy Easy Easy Learning Curve Easy Easy Harder Learning Curve Learning Curve Easy Easy Easy Easy Harder Harder Performance Can be slower due to tight coupling Better performance with looser coupling Smooth performance, especially for complex UIs Performance Performance Can be slower due to tight coupling Can be slower due to tight coupling Better performance with looser coupling Better performance with looser coupling Smooth performance, especially for complex UIs Smooth performance, especially for complex UIs UI Updates Controller updates View Presenter updates View ViewModel updates View through data binding UI Updates UI Updates Controller updates View Controller updates View Presenter updates View Presenter updates View ViewModel updates View through data binding ViewModel updates View through data binding Dependency on UI Framework High Low Low or no dependency Dependency on UI Framework Dependency on UI Framework High High Low Low Low or no dependency Low or no dependency Scalability Suitable for small-scale projects Good for simple and complex projects Ideal for large, data-heavy apps Scalability Scalability Suitable for small-scale projects Suitable for small-scale projects Good for simple and complex projects Good for simple and complex projects Ideal for large, data-heavy apps Ideal for large, data-heavy apps But which is the most popular you might ask? All of them are equally popular architectures being used according to the company's respective requirements for a product. Some companies adopting these different architectures are: MVC: StackOverflow, GoDaddy, Visual Studio website Dell MVP: Google (for some Android apps) MVVM: Apple (for some iOS apps using SwiftUI), Angular framework, Vue.js framework MVC: StackOverflow, GoDaddy, Visual Studio website Dell MVP: Google (for some Android apps) MVVM: Apple (for some iOS apps using SwiftUI), Angular framework, Vue.js framework Also, many companies use a mix of these architectures depending on the specific needs of each project or product. The choice of architecture often depends on factors such as the complexity of the application, the development team's expertise, and the specific requirements of the project. Conclusion This article covered the basics of architectural patterns, from how overall architecture is designed to how a single application can be further divided into three components for better management and scalability. MVC, with its straightforward approach, remains popular for web applications. MVP builds upon MVC's foundation, offering improved testability and a cleaner separation of concerns. MVVM, the most recent of the three, has gained significant traction in modern application development. MVC, with its straightforward approach, remains popular for web applications. MVP builds upon MVC's foundation, offering improved testability and a cleaner separation of concerns. MVVM, the most recent of the three, has gained significant traction in modern application development. There is no clear winner between them and each pattern offers unique advantages and is suited to different projects and development scenarios. As the software development landscape continues to evolve, we may see further refinements of these patterns or the emergence of new architectures altogether. Want to learn more about the architectural patterns discussed? Here are some references I found helpful: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/android-architecture-patterns/
https://www.masaischool.com/blog/comparing-software-architecture-patterns/
https://www.apptension.com/blog-posts/mvc-vs-mvvm-vs-mvp Want to learn more about the architectural patterns discussed? Here are some references I found helpful: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/android-architecture-patterns/ https://www.masaischool.com/blog/comparing-software-architecture-patterns/ https://www.apptension.com/blog-posts/mvc-vs-mvvm-vs-mvp https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/android-architecture-patterns/ https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/android-architecture-patterns/ https://www.masaischool.com/blog/comparing-software-architecture-patterns/ https://www.masaischool.com/blog/comparing-software-architecture-patterns/ https://www.apptension.com/blog-posts/mvc-vs-mvvm-vs-mvp https://www.apptension.com/blog-posts/mvc-vs-mvvm-vs-mvp

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Architecture Patterns for Beginners: MVC, MVP, and MVVM

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