Differences between MVC MVP and MVVM

Human Digital
5 min readOct 14, 2021

A typical software architecture design pattern ensures that programming is well-organized. It also divides application functionality, making it easier to test and maintain affordably.

MVC, MVP & MVVM are some of the most popular architecture patterns. Model-View-Controller (MVC), Model-View-Presenter (MVP), and Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) are their acronyms. All these design patterns, in general, aid in the development of loosely coupled, testable, and maintainable systems.

So, let us understand everything about these architectural designs and their key differences.

Table of contents

  1. What is MVC?
  2. What is MVP?
  3. What is MVVM?
  4. Conclusion

What is MVC?

MVC is an architectural pattern that was once the only way to develop a web application. The application is built using MVC in such a way that the levels of concern are separated. This reduces the amount of time and effort required to extend, test, and maintain the application. Between the UI, data binding logic, and business activities, the process optimizes the size of the View class. It used to be a popular architecture choice, but it is slowly getting replaced by the more common MVP and MVVM patterns.

Here are the different components of the MVC pattern -

  • Model: The database is directly accessed by the Model. It is the Model that stores all of the application’s data. It just holds application data and does not require any user interface or data processing. The Model is made up of a group of classes that describe the business logic. It focuses on developing data business rules that govern how data is altered or managed. The Model has no information about the View or the Controller. Any alteration that it notices is usually communicated to its watchers.
  • View: The View shows the user the Model’s data and allows them to take action on it. In simple terms, the View represents what the user sees and how they interact with the app. HTML, CSS, JS, XML, and any other markup language used to create a stunning user interface are all included under this. It entails writing code to display the data received from the application and then responding to events. It interacts with the Model and communicates with the Controller.
  • Controller: The Controller is the most crucial component of the system. Between the perspective and the Model, it is the decision-maker. When the Model changes, the Controller updates the View. The data is processed by the Controller after you receive a request from the View (and before the Model updates anything in the database). In summary, it’s a fragment that takes user input from View and communicates with View and Model.

What is MVP?

When Microsoft introduced the Windows Smart Client programs in early 2007, MVP became a reality. The MVP is an architectural pattern that can be utilized to compensate for some of MVC’s flaws.

The Model, View, and Presenter are the three components of this pattern.

  • Model: The data is still stored in a set of classes that explain the business logic and data in the Model. It also specifies how the data can be edited and changed.
  • View: The fragment classes are still implemented in the View, but the area that the View controls changes. In addition, the View starts user inputs and delegates events to the Presenter, while the host processes and receives data from Models. Views, like XML, Activity, and fragments, interact directly with users. It is devoid of any implemented logic.
  • Presenter: The Presenter is the final component. It handles UI updates depending on data model changes as well as user inputs. The Presenter accepts user input via View, then processes the data with the help of Model and returns the results to the View. The Presenter connects with the Viewer through the interface. The Presenter class defines the interface, and it is to this class that the required data is passed. The Presenter dominates the Model and also refreshes the View in the MVP design pattern. In short, the View and the Presenter are fully cut off from one another and can only communicate via an interface. This greatly simplifies application unit testing.

MVP is a complicated pattern in terms of implementation, but if you can apply it as a well-designed solution, it will provide you with significant benefits. MVP is typically chosen for ASP.NET Web Forms and Windows Forms applications. It is appropriate for Android developers because it can be used in web applications.

What is MVVM?

It is the most well-organized and reusable method of code organization. You can find two-way data coupling between View and View-Model in the MVVM pattern. The MVVM pattern organizes and arranges the code into testable and maintainable apps. This allows for easier testing and modularity, as well as a reduction in the amount of glue code required to connect the View and Model. The Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) pattern aids in the clear separation of an application’s business and presentation logic from its user interface (UI). This helps to handle a variety of developmental difficulties, making it easier to test, maintain, and evolve an application. It also increases code reuse opportunities and makes it easier for developers and UI designers to work on their respective areas of an app.

The MVVM pattern has three main components: the Model, the View, and the ViewModel.

  • Model: This is the data and/or information with which the developers and designers work. Contact or the qualities of a live streaming publishing point are examples of Models. The term “Model” refers to something that stores information rather than behaviors or services that manipulate it. Model classes are frequently used in conjunction with data access and caching services.
  • View: The View is the only element with which the end-user interacts. To make the data more attractive, the View takes certain liberties. In MVVM, the View has actions, events, and data bindings that necessitate an understanding of the underlying Model and View Model. The perspective isn’t in charge of keeping its state. It synchronizes with the View Model instead. A View can also have behaviors attached to it, such as the ability to accept user input.
  • ViewModel: Because it introduces Presentation Separation, the ViewModel is an important part of the triangle. It’s the idea of keeping the View’s nuances separate from the Model. Rather than informing the Model about the user’s data interpretation, it changes the date to the display format. It’s in charge of organizing the View’s interactions with any required Model classes. The View Model’s properties and commands define the functionality that the user interface will deliver.

Conclusion

You would have now got a conceptual understanding of different architectures and their key differences. All of them have their own set of pros and cons and are widely used by many businesses across the world. In summary, it all depends on you to choose the pattern that works well for your enterprise.

Originally published at https://www.partech.nl.

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