Angular – MVC Architecture

Angular follows a Component-Based Architecture rather than the traditional MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture. However, it incorporates concepts similar to MVC by separating concerns into different layers. Here’s how Angular aligns with the MVC principles:

Understanding MVC Architecture in Angular

1. Model (M):

• Represents the data and business logic of the application.
• In Angular, the model can be represented by:
  • Services: Handle data fetching, state management, and business logic.
  • RxJS Observables: Manage asynchronous data streams.
  • Data Models: TypeScript classes or interfaces used for data structure definition.

Example:

export interface User {
    id: number;
    name: string;
    email: string;
}

2. View (V):

• Represents the user interface (UI) and is responsible for displaying data.
• In Angular, the view is defined by HTML templates tied to components.
• It uses Angular directives, such as *ngFor and *ngIf, for dynamic rendering.

Example (app.component.html):

<div *ngIf="user">
    <h1>{{ user.name }}</h1>
    <p>Email: {{ user.email }}</p>
</div>

3. Controller (C):

• Manages communication between the model and the view.
• In Angular, the controller’s functionality is handled by Components.
• Components contain the logic to interact with the model and update the view.

Example (app.component.ts):

import { Component } from '@angular/core';
import { User } from './user.model';

@Component({
    selector: 'app-root',
    templateUrl: './app.component.html',
    styleUrls: ['./app.component.css']
})
export class AppComponent {
    user: User = {
        id: 1,
        name: 'John Doe',
        email: 'john.doe@example.com'
    };
}

Angular’s MVC-like Structure

+------------------------------------------------------+
|                   Angular Application                |
|------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                      |
|  +----------------+    +-------------------------+   |
|  |     Model      |    |      Component          |   |
|  |----------------|    |-------------------------|   |
|  |   Services     |    | - Handles UI logic      |   |
|  |   RxJS         |    | - Interacts with Model  |   |
|  |   Data Models  |<-> | - Displays data (View)  |   |
|  |   (Business    |    | - Manages user input    |   |
|  |   Logic)       |    | - Contains component    |   |
|  +----------------+    |   lifecycle hooks       |   |
|                        +-------------------------+   |
|                                                      |
|                        +-------------------------+   |
|                        |          View           |   |
|                        |-------------------------|   |
|                        | - HTML Templates        |   |
|                        | - Display user interface|   |
|                        +-------------------------+   |
|                                                      |
+------------------------------------------------------+

Advantages of Angular’s Component-Based Approach Over MVC

1. Reusability: Components can be reused across different parts of the application.
2. Scalability: Modular structure makes large applications easier to manage.
3. Two-Way Data Binding: Synchronizes model and view effortlessly.
4. Separation of Concerns: Services handle business logic, while components manage UI-related logic.

Conclusion

Angular doesn’t strictly adhere to traditional MVC but instead follows a more modern, component-driven approach that integrates the principles of MVC into its architecture. This allows for greater flexibility, scalability, and maintainability.