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Implementing MVC on Engelsystem

Engelsystem is an MVC based PHP application, but there was a 4th ties, Pages, introduced with the traditional MVC pattern. It seems to have everything an event manager could want.

The Model-View-Control (MVC) pattern, originally formulated in the late 1970s, is a software architecture pattern built on the basis of keeping the presentation of data separate from the methods that interact with the data. In theory, a well-developed MVC system should allow a front-end developer and a back-end developer to work on the same system without interfering, sharing, or editing files either party is working on.

Like everything else in software engineering, it seems, the concept of Model-View-Controller was originally invented bySmalltalk programmers. More specifically, it was invented by one Smalltalk programmer, Trygve Reenskaug. Trygve maintains a page that explains the history of MVC in his own words.

Block Diagram for MVC
                                                                  Block Diagram for MVC

 

The components of an MVC pattern are explained as follows:

  1. MODEL: The Model is the name given to the permanent storage of the data used in the overall design.
    Models represent knowledge. A model could be a single object (rather uninteresting), or it could be some structure of objects.
  2. VIEW: The View is where data, requested from the Model, is viewed and its final output is determined. A view is a (visual) representation of its model. It would ordinarily highlight certain attributes of the model and suppress others. It is thus acting as a presentation filter.
    Traditionally in web apps built using MVC, the View is the part of the system where the HTML is generated and displayed. The View also ignites reactions from the user, who then goes on to interact with the Controller.
  3. CONTROLLER: The final component of the triad is the Controller.A controller is the link between a user and the system. It provides the user with input by arranging for relevant views to present themselves in appropriate places on the screen.
    Its job is to handle data that the user inputs or submits, and update the Model accordingly. The Controller’s life blood is the user; without user interactions, the Controller has no purpose.

 

Even though MVC was originally designed for personal computing, it has been adapted and is widely being used by web developers due to its emphasis on separation of concerns, and thus indirectly, reusable code. The pattern encourages the development of modular systems, allowing developers to quickly update, add, or even remove functionality.

layercake

 

Initially, in Engelsystem there were files distributed in 4 tiers, Model, View, Controller, Pages, which are mentioned as follows:

Pages:

admin_active.php
admin_arrive.php
admin_export.php
admin_free.php
admin_groups.php
admin_import.php
admin_log.php
admin_news.php
admin_questions.php
admin_rooms.php
admin_settings.php
admin_shifts.php
admin_user.php
guest_credits.php
guest_login.php
guest_start.php
guest_stats.php
user_atom.php
user_ical.php
user_messages.php
user_myshifts.php
user_news.php
user_questions.php
user_settings.php
user_shifts.php

Model:

AngelType_model.php
LogEntries_model.php
Message_model.php
NeededAngelTypes_model.php
Room_model.php
Settings_model.php
ShiftEntry_model.php
ShiftTypes_model.php
Shifts_model.php
UserAngelTypes_model.php
UserDriverLicenses.model.php
User_model.php

Controller

angeltype_controller.php
rooms_controller.php
shifts_controller.php
shifttypes_controller.php
user_angeltypes_controller.php
user_driver_licenses_controller.php
user_controller.php

View

AngelTypes_view.php
Questions_view.php
Rooms_view.php
ShiftEntry_view.php
ShiftTypes_view.php
Shifts_view.php
UserAngelTypes_view.php
UserDriverLicenses_view.php
User_view.php

 

There were 26 Pages files, in which there were both sql queries along with the controller code. All these files were refactured into Controller and Model(which contains sql queries) files seperately to implement proper MVC pattern in Engelsystem.

 

We are developing new feature for Engelsystem and we will be applying this WordPress like update system toEngelsystem in the upcoming weeks. Developers who are interested in contributing can work with us.

Development: https://github.com/fossasia/engelsystem             Issues/Bugs:https://github.com/fossasia/engelsystem/issues