MVC Pattern in XOOPS

XMF Required 4.0.x Native

The Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern is a fundamental architectural pattern for separating concerns in XOOPS modules. This pattern divides an application into three interconnected components.

MVC Explanation

Model

The Model represents the data and business logic of your application. It:

Manages data persistence
Implements business rules
Validates data
Communicates with the database
Is independent of the UI

View

The View is responsible for presenting data to the user. It:

Renders HTML templates
Displays model data
Handles user interface presentation
Sends user actions to the controller
Should contain minimal logic

Controller

The Controller handles user interactions and coordinates between Model and View. It:

Receives user requests
Processes input data
Calls model methods
Selects appropriate views
Manages application flow

XOOPS Implementation

In XOOPS, the MVC pattern is implemented using handlers and templates with the Smarty engine providing template support.

Basic Model Structure

<?php
class UserModel
{
    private $db;

    public function getUserById($id)
    {
        // Database query implementation
    }

    public function createUser($data)
    {
        // Create user implementation
    }
}
?>

Controller Implementation

<?php
class UserController
{
    private $model;

    public function listAction()
    {
        $users = $this->model->getAllUsers();
        return ['users' => $users];
    }
}
?>

View Template

{foreach from=$users item=user}
    <div>{$user.username|escape}</div>
{/foreach}

Best Practices

Keep business logic in Models
Keep presentation in Views
Keep routing/coordination in Controllers
Don’t mix concerns between layers
Validate all input at the Controller level