MVC (Model-View-Controller) is a design pattern used in software development to separate concerns within an application. It is commonly used in GUI applications, web development, and game engines.
Table of Contents
🔹 Components of MVC
MVC is divided into three key components:
- Model (M) – Handles the data and business logic.
- View (V) – Handles the UI and displays data.
- Controller (C) – Acts as an intermediary between the Model and View.
Component | Responsibility |
---|---|
Model | Manages application data, business logic, and state. |
View | Displays the data to the user and handles user interface updates. |
Controller | Handles user input and updates the Model or View accordingly. |
🔹 Why Use MVC?
✅ Separation of Concerns – Each component has a distinct role, making code modular and maintainable.
✅ Scalability – Easy to extend and modify without affecting the whole system.
✅ Reusability – Views and models can be reused across different applications.
✅ Testability – Each part can be tested independently.
🔹 Example: MVC in C++
Let’s implement a simple C++ MVC application that manages user information.
1. Model (Handles Data & Business Logic)
// Model.h
#ifndef MODEL_H
#define MODEL_H
#include <string>
class Model {
private:
std::string userName;
public:
void setUserName(const std::string& name) { userName = name; }
std::string getUserName() const { return userName; }
};
#endif // MODEL_H
2. View (Handles UI & Display)
// View.h
#ifndef VIEW_H
#define VIEW_H
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
class View {
public:
void displayUser(const std::string& name) {
std::cout << "User Name: " << name << std::endl;
}
};
#endif // VIEW_H
3. Controller (Handles Input & Updates Model/View)
// Controller.h
#ifndef CONTROLLER_H
#define CONTROLLER_H
#include "Model.h"
#include "View.h"
class Controller {
private:
Model& model;
View& view;
public:
Controller(Model& m, View& v) : model(m), view(v) {}
void setUserName(const std::string& name) {
model.setUserName(name);
}
void updateView() {
view.displayUser(model.getUserName());
}
};
#endif // CONTROLLER_H
4. Main Function (Tying Everything Together)
// main.cpp
#include "Model.h"
#include "View.h"
#include "Controller.h"
int main() {
Model model;
View view;
Controller controller(model, view);
controller.setUserName("Alice");
controller.updateView();
return 0;
}
🔹 How It Works?
- The Model (
Model.h
) stores the user’s name. - The View (
View.h
) is responsible for displaying the user’s name. - The Controller (
Controller.h
) acts as a middleman:- It updates the model with a new user name.
- It tells the view to display the updated name.
- The Main Function creates objects of Model, View, and Controller, then sets the user’s name and updates the display.
🔹 Advantages of Using MVC in C++
- ✅ Code Maintainability – Easily modify UI (View) without affecting the Model.
- ✅ Flexibility – Change the business logic without modifying the UI.
- ✅ Improved Testing – Since the Model and Controller are independent, they can be tested separately.
🔹 When to Use MVC in C++?
- GUI Applications (Qt, MFC, FLTK)
- Game Development (Unreal Engine, Unity with C++)
- Web Frameworks (C++ Backends like Wt)
- Large Applications that need a clean separation of concerns.
🔹 Summary
- Model (M) → Handles data & business logic.
- View (V) → Manages UI & data presentation.
- Controller (C) → Processes user input & updates Model/View.
By using MVC, we create a structured, reusable, and scalable application architecture in C++.