Advice on MVC pattern for WinForms app

Question

I'm writing a Windows version of my Mac app (C# Winforms) and would like some advice on what design pattern to use.

My Mac app uses an MVC pattern with Core Data for storage. This is a simplified diagram of the models and relationships:

model diagram

The desktop app collects logs on a background thread and periodically uploads them to my web app. The database is used to store both the user's account information and logs, and the app has a 3 views to display (and collect) the user's data.

I've done some reading and it seems that MVP is the recommended design pattern for WinForms apps, but I'm not sure how to proceed from here. I think that my app is simple enough to write without using an external framework like MVC# but as I have never made a WinForms app before I am only speculating.

Can someone recommend the best way to go about this?

If I have to do WebForms I'll go with MVP : http://webformsmvp.com/ — VinnyG, Mar 09 '11 at 03:02

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 09 '11 at 04:26

Patterns are really just guides as to what problem it is trying to solve. Where an MVC would work well for a web app that relies on pages and redirects etc a winform app can benefit from using MVP.

Having said that the two patterns are siblings of a wider UI pattern and even according to Martin Fowler the MVP pattern can be further split. Look at his article to get a good feel for the appropriate pattern. He has broken the MVP to Supervising Controller and Passive View. Even the new MPF MVVM pattern is actually based on the PresentationModel pattern.

I would say look at the patterns and see what fits rather than trying to use a pattern because you used it in another scenario.

Rightly said. Dont choose a problem for the pattern instead choose a pattern to solve the problem. — ferosekhanj, Mar 09 '11 at 04:35

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 09 '11 at 01:56

1

You should take a look at Jeremy Miller's Build your own cab series : http://codebetter.com/jeremymiller/2007/07/26/the-build-your-own-cab-series-table-of-contents/

answered Mar 09 '11 at 01:56

Joel Gauvreau

3,586
4
29
32

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 10:30

1

In my experience for a winforms application (which supports nice databinding) you can use MVC with a supervising controller pattern. Read through this question What are MVP and MVC and what is the difference? & http://codebetter.com/jeremymiller/2007/05/25/build-you-own-cab-part-3-the-supervising-controller-pattern/

edited May 23 '17 at 10:30

Community

1
1

answered Mar 09 '11 at 04:33

ferosekhanj

1,086
6
11

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 12 '11 at 04:33

Start to work on it, do some screen mockups, do some design, write some code.

You could start with a few small prototype, try out different design. Don't go too far in your exploration phase so that you don't hesitate to throw it away and start over if you need.

Try to keep your choice open as much as possible, don't paint yourself into a corner, and delay this decision until your really need to choose one way over another.

By then you will probably have a much better Idea of what you need.

Advice on MVC pattern for WinForms app

4 Answers4