MVP Architecture in Android

Model View Presenter (MVP) is a software architecture pattern that has lost its popularity in recent years, particularly for building Android applications. The MVP pattern is a derivative of the classic Model View Controller (MVC) pattern, but with some important differences that make it more suitable for building mobile applications. In this article, we will look at the history of the MVP architecture and how it is used in Android app development.

Simple MVP Architecture Schema

History of the MVP Architecture

The MVP architecture pattern was first introduced in the early 2000s as a way to improve upon the limitations of the traditional MVC pattern. The idea was to separate the presentation logic (View) from the application logic (Model) and to introduce an intermediate component, the Presenter, which would handle the interaction between the View and the Model. The main objective of this approach was to decouple the user interface (UI) logic from the underlying data and business logic, making it easier to maintain and test.

The MVP architecture pattern quickly gained popularity among software developers and became a standard for building enterprise-level applications. In the early 2010s, mobile app development started to gain traction, and developers soon realized that the traditional software architecture patterns like MVC and MVP were not sufficient for building mobile apps without some adjustments to account for the unique challenges of mobile development. Android developers have adopted the MVP architecture pattern and made modifications to it to address the specific needs of building mobile apps. These modifications may include optimizing for limited resources, handling complex UI design, and adapting to diverse device capabilities. As a result, the MVP architecture has become one of the most widely used patterns for building Android apps.

MVP Architecture in Android

Android provides the necessary tools and libraries to implement the MVP pattern efficiently. The following is an example of how the MVP architecture could be implemented in an Android app:

1. The Model: The Model component could be a Room database, a web service, or any other data source. The Model would contain all the data and business logic of the app.
2. The View: The View component would be an Activity or a Fragment that represents the UI of the app. The View would be responsible for displaying data to the user and receiving user input.
3. The Presenter: The Presenter component would act as an intermediary between the View and the Model. It would retrieve data from the Model and update the View. It would also handle user input from the View and update the Model accordingly. The Presenter would be responsible for all the business logic of the app.

Pros

• Separation of concerns: The MVP architecture separates the presentation layer (View) from the business logic layer (Model) and the controller layer (Presenter). This makes the code more modular and easier to maintain.
• Testability: The MVP architecture makes it easier to write unit tests for the different layers of the application. This is because the View layer is not responsible for any business logic, and the Presenter layer is not responsible for any UI code.
• Reusability: The MVP architecture makes it easier to reuse code across different screens or features of the application. This is because the View layer is not coupled to the Model or Presenter layers.
• Scalability: The MVP architecture is scalable for large and complex applications. This is because the View, Model, and Presenter layers can be independently scaled up or down as needed.

Cons

• Requires more code: The MVP architecture requires more code than other architectures, such as MVC. This is because the View, Model, and Presenter layers are all separate classes.
• Can be more complex: The MVP architecture can be more complex than other architectures. This is because the View, Model, and Presenter layers all need to be coordinated in order to work together.
• Not suitable for all projects: The MVP architecture is not suitable for all projects. It is best suited for projects that require a high degree of testability and reusability.

Overall, the MVP architecture is a good choice for Android development projects that require a high degree of testability and reusability. However, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of the MVP architecture before deciding whether it is the right choice for your project.

Implementation

An implementation at MVP’s simplest form, for people who wanted to start from the beginning: https://github.com/Burak-Tasci/Simple-MVP-Sample