Two Development Models

Overview:

When Sun introduced JSP technology, it provided a development road map for working with it and defined two models for building JSP-based Web applications. The two models are known as Model 1 and Model 2 and they prescribe different approaches to designing JSP-based Web applications. Model 1, the simpler of the two, was the primary solution implemented when JSPs were first introduced. However, over time, Model 2 has been accepted as the best way for building JSP-based Web applications and, as you'll see, is the inspiration for MVC-based Web frameworks like Struts. Following is an overview of both architectures.

Model 1 Architecture Overview :

The Model 1 architecture is very simple. A request is made to a JSP or servlet and then that JSP or servlet handles all responsibilities for the request, including processing the request, validating data, handling the business logic, and generating a response. Although conceptually simple, this architecture is not conducive to large-scale application development because, inevitably, a great deal of functionality is duplicated in each JSP. Also, the Model 1 architecture unnecessarily ties together the business logic and presentation logic of the application. Combining business logic with presentation logic makes it hard to introduce a new "view" or access point in an application. For example, in addition to an HTML interface, you might want to include a Wireless Markup Language (WML) interface for wireless access. In this case, using Model 1 will unnecessarily require the duplication of the business logic with each instance of the presentation code.

Model 2 Architecture Overview:
Model 2, or as it is most commonly referred to today, Model-View-Controller (MVC), solves many of the inherent problems with the original Model 1 design by providing a clear separation of application responsibilities. In the MVC architecture, a central servlet, known as the Controller, receives all requests for the application. The Controller then processes the request and works with the Model to prepare any data needed by the View (which is usually a JSP) and forwards the data to a JSP. The JSP then uses the data prepared by the Controller to generate a response to the browser. In this architecture, the business and presentation logic are separated from each other. Having the separation of business and presentation code accommodates multiple interfaces to the application, be they Web, wireless, or GUI (Swing). Additionally, this separation provides excellent reuse of code.

Model View Controller (MVC) Architecture

Overview:

Model-View-Controller architecture is all about dividing application components into three different categories Model, View and the Controller. Components of the MVC architecture have unique responsibility and each component is independent of the other component. Changes in one component will have no or less impact on other component.

Model Components:
In the MVC architecture, model components provide an interface to the data and/or services used by an application. This way, controller components don't unnecessarily embed code for manipulating an application's data. Instead, they communicate with the model components that perform the data access and manipulation. Thus, the model component provides the business logic. Model components come in many different forms and can be as simple as a basic Java bean or as intricate as Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs) or Web services.

View Components:
View components are used in the MVC architecture to generate the response to the browser. Thus, a view component provides what the user sees. Oftentimes the view components are simple JSPs or HTML pages. However, you can just as easily use WML, a templating engine such as Velocity or FreeMarker, XML with XSLT, or another view technology altogether for this part of the architecture. This is one of the main design advantages of MVC. You can use any view technology that you'd like without impacting the Model (or business) layer of your application.

Controller Components:
At the core of the MVC architecture are the controller components. The Controller is typically a servlet that receives requests for the application and manages the flow of data between the Model layer and the View layer. Thus, it controls the way that the Model and View layers interact. The Controller often uses helper classes for delegating control over specific requests or processes.