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Model-View-Controller (MVC) Design Pattern

This document discusses different design patterns for separating concerns in user interface applications, including Model-View-Controller (MVC) and Delegate Model patterns. MVC divides an application into three components: the model contains the data, the view displays the model to the user, and the controller handles user input by modifying the model. Delegate Model combines the view and controller roles into a single delegate component that is responsible for both user input and output while still separating the model component.

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346 views

Model-View-Controller (MVC) Design Pattern

This document discusses different design patterns for separating concerns in user interface applications, including Model-View-Controller (MVC) and Delegate Model patterns. MVC divides an application into three components: the model contains the data, the view displays the model to the user, and the controller handles user input by modifying the model. Delegate Model combines the view and controller roles into a single delegate component that is responsible for both user input and output while still separating the model component.

Uploaded by

Tamiltamil Tamil
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Model-View-Controller (MVC) Design Pattern

Computer Science and Engineering College of Engineering The Ohio State University

Lecture 23

Motivation
Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Basic parts of any application: Data being manipulated A user-interface through which this manipulation occurs The data is logically independent from

how it is displayed to the user


Display should be separately designable/evolvable

Example: grade distribution in class Displayed as both pie chart and/or bar chart Anti-example: see BigBlob Presentation, logic, and state all mixed together

Model-View-Controller Pattern
Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Model The data (ie state) Methods for accessing and modifying state View Renders contents of model for user When model changes, view must be updated Controller Translates user actions (ie interactions with view) into operations on the model Example user actions: button clicks, menu selections

Basic Interactions in MVC


Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Input Controller change data user action change display

Model

View Output

Implementing Basic MVC in Swing


Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Mapping of classes to MVC parts


View is a Swing widget (like a JFrame & JButtons) Controller is an ActionListener Model is an ordinary Java class (or database)

Alternative mapping
View is a Swing widget and includes (inner) ActionListener(s) as event handlers Controller is an ordinary Java class with business logic, invoked by event handlers in view Model is an ordinary Java class (or database)

Difference: Where is the ActionListener?


Regardless, model and view are completely decoupled (linked only by controller)

Mechanics of Basic MVC


Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Setup Instantiate model Instantiate view


Instantiate controller with references to both

Has reference to a controller, initially null

Execution View recognizes event View calls appropriate method on controller Controller accesses model, possibly updating it If model has been changed, view is updated (via the controller) Example: CalcMVC CalcModel, CalcView, CalcController Note: View includes (gratuitous) reference to model Note 2: The example code has a bug! Can you find it?

Controller registers with view, so view now has a (nonnull) reference to controller

Extended Interactions in MVC


Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Input Controller change data user action

I have changed View

Model

Output

give me data

Extended Pattern
Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Background: Observer pattern One object is notified of changes in another In extended MVC, view is an observer of model Application within MVC Asynchronous model updates
Model changes independent of user actions Associated view must be notified of change in

order to know that it must update

A model may have multiple views


But a view has one model All views have to be updated when model

changes

Mechanics of Extended MVC


Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Setup

Instantiate model

Instantiate view with reference to model Instantiate controller with references to both
View registers with model Controller registers with view

Has reference to view, initially null

Execution

View recognizes event View calls appropriate method on controller Controller accesses model, possibly updating it If model has been changed, it notifies all registered views Views then query model for the nature of the change, rendering new information as appropriate

Problems with Classic MVC


Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Controller might need to produce its own

output

eg Popup menu

Some state is shared between controller

and view, but does not belong in model


eg Selection (highlighted text)

Direct manipulation means that user can


eg Scrollbar

interact (control) visual elements (views) intermingled in a GUI

Overall issue: Input and output are often


Result: View and controller are tightly coupled

Delegate-Model Pattern
Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Model Data, same as before Delegate Responsible for both input and output A combination of both view and controller Many other names UI-Model Document-View

Basic Interactions in Delegate Model


Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Input Controller change data user action change display

Model

View Output

Basic Interactions in Delegate Model


Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Input Controller change data I have changed

Model

View Output Delegate

give me data

Mechanics of Delegate Model


Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Setup Instantiate model


As with MVC, model does not know/care about UI

Instantiate delegate with reference to model

Execution Delegate recognizes event and executes appropriate handler for the event Delegate accesses model, possibly updating it If model has been changed, UI is updated Example: CalcV3 CalcModel, CalcViewController Note: CalcModel is exactly the same as with CalcMVC

Notes
Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Litmus test: Swapping out user

interface

Can the model be used, without modification, by a completely different UI? eg Swing vs console text interface

Model can be easily tested with JUnit Model actions should be quick GUI is frozen while model executes Alternative: multithreading, which gets much more complicated

Supplemental Reading
Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Sun Developer Network Java SE Application Design with MVC http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalAr ticles/javase/mvc/ OnJava article A Generic MVC Model in Java http://www.onjava.com/pub/a/onjava/20 04/07/07/genericmvc.html

Summary
Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University

Motivation: Information hiding Data (state) vs user interface State should be agnostic of user interface Model-View-Controller Model contains state (data) View displays model to user (presentation) Controller modifies model (business logic) UI-Model Allows for tight coupling between view and controller Preserves most significant separation

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