Difference Between MVP and MVVM for Android App Development

Feb 04, 2020

With a huge level of advancements when it comes to the technology and Android App Development sector, programming of Android applications doesn’t standstill. Every day new versions, tools, and updates are emerging for developers, especially if we talk about the year 2020. Talking about app developers, they always look for ideal architecture. So, when you hire Android Developers for your project, ensure that they understand the very basic and advanced tools and related trends.

Moreover, all they want is enough flexible patterns to respond to changes in logic and design. And hence, they should be independent of external frameworks yet simple in structure. During the early stages, a majority of app developers used to go with MVC (Model View Controller) pattern as it was the most straightforward pattern to use. But with time, the majority of those developers have started looking for new patterns that make them more scalable. This was the time when the MVP model and MVVM model gained momentum.

However, to choose one amongst MVP and MVVM became somewhat difficult for them. Well, no doubt, both the models are the most adopted architecture for android application development. But to understand which one works better, below-given is an in-depth MVP vs MVVM comparison. Moreover, this difference Between MVP and MVVM is based on a few factors such as model overview, its pros and cons, features, etc., that can let you find the best suited for your project.

Let’s get into the detailed MVP vs MVVM comparison right away:

MVP (Model View Presenter) Model Overview

MVP Model stands for Model View Presenter. Well, it is the much-awaited update of the MVC (Model View Controller) model. Now, it has a better user interface and smoother code modification. Moreover, the Presenter pattern divides the application code into three layers. These layers are further listed as:

1. Model

2. Presenter

Also known as the middle-man between the other two layers is responsible for passing the data between them. Then, it analyzes and interacts between the layers. Moreover, this division of the Presenter layer allows substitution of the coding parts, proper testing, and connects layers as interfaces.

3. View

The last layer i.e. View, the layer is basically responsible for the visual display of application with the data input by users. Moreover, this layer also takes care of the UI component which further controls the viewing properties, and displays data on the screen.

Advantages of MVP Model:

The View Layer in this one is very light as it has few clear lines of code to support visualization.

It provides better testing possibilities because the whole business logic is separated from the UI. And hence, the data is simpler to mock.

It is easy to change the framework because all the ties are described in the form of interfaces.

Disadvantages of MVP Model:

It requires a huge amount of interfaces for interaction between layers.

As each interface covers only a small fraction of the interaction, this may lead to various steps to implement.

The code size is quite excessive making it a bit complex.

MVVM (ModelView-ViewModel) Model Overview

The ModelView-ViewModel or MVVM model was introduced to Android with the DataBinding library. This model allows web developers to use the concept of Data Binding with a reduced code. Moreover, it is used for environments like JavaScript, Silverlight, WPF, etc. Furthermore, the various layers included in this model are listed as:

1. Model

When it comes to the Model layer, it works as the brain of an app. It contains data & tools for data processing and acts as a gateway to business logic. Moreover, it is not tied to the View and is reusable in many contexts.

2. View

The View layer is responsible for data visualization. It ties to variables and actions in the most flexible way. Moreover, this layer transmits values into ViewModel, thus changing the UI view.

3. ViewModel

This is the final layer of the MVVM model. It wraps the Model and prepares observable data. It contains all the information required to display the view. Apart from this, it also offers many hooks for the view layer to pass on the events to the model layer i.e. any transition in ViewModel changes the View automatically, and vice-versa.

Advantages of MVVM Model:

A lot of extra effort is minimized as it allows reviewing the complete setup at the compilation stage.

The code used in the pattern is quite simplified.

It allows the developer to use the official library of Google. Now, this further allows developers for a strong and proper generation of components and other elements.

In this model, the user is allowed to write custom XML attributes by using Binding adapters.

Disadvantages of MVVM Model:

The MVVM model comprises of writing tests for an application, which is not an easy task.

In a few cases, the code can be seen in the form of XML. This can confuse the developer and make the development or debugging process complicated.

When it comes to an Android environment, the user is restricted with only two ways to work with View. Moreover, they can either use Data Binding or any other View method.

Features - MVP vs MVVM for Android Application Development

All the essentials below are put together to understand the difference between the Android Architecture in these models. The comparison between the MVP and the MVVM models based on the features is as:

Logic: In MVP, the View is your application and the Presenter controls the application flow. On the other hand in MVVM, the ViewModel is the application and the View, being the interface that allows users to interact with the app.

Data input: In the case of MVP, it initiates from the View and not with the Presenter whereas, in the MVVM model, it begins with the View and not with the ViewModel.

Code Metrics: The MVP creates more code and Java classes than the other one when it comes to Android App Development or similar work.

Maintainability: The MVP model is easy to learn, amend, add features, and hence, to maintain, all-in-all. On the contrary, MVVM may require some support from the library. Moreover, this additional requirement is because of additional features.

Mapping and references: The MVP architecture uses one-to-one mapping between the View and the Presenter. There is no reference between them. But the MVVM model uses one-to-many mapping between the View and the ViewModel with no reference. Hence, there is a clear distinction between Android Architecture with MVP or MVVM.

Final Words

The MVVM model is favored by most of the web developers. This is because when we need separation between the View layer and the ViewModel layer, it’s possible in the MVVM model. In other words, a separation exists between the UI and the logical code. Moreover, this model even allows the user to make changes into codebase efficiently.

Besides, when it comes to the MVP pattern, it is quite flexible that further provides certain benefits from various libraries. Now, it depends on you to choose any one of the architectural patterns. The above-mentioned MVP vs MVVM for Android Application Development comparison will surely help you to choose logically.