MVC Pattern in C#

By Habib Pourfard

Real-Life Analogy: Bank ATM

Imagine you're standing in front of an ATM. You insert your card, press a few buttons to withdraw money, and the screen updates to show your balance.

In this situation:

• Controller = The buttons and menu you interact with
• Model = Your bank account and balance information stored securely
• View = The screen that shows the current balance or withdrawal confirmation

Benefits of MVC

MVC stands for Model-View-Controller. It splits your application into three layers, each with a clear responsibility. This separation makes your code more organised and easier to maintain.

It also improves teamwork. Backend developers can work on the Model, frontend developers on the View, and business logic can be handled in the Controller — all independently.

• Separation of concerns – logic, UI, and data are kept separate
• Reusability – Views and Models can be reused or replaced independently
• Testability – each layer can be tested separately
• Maintainability – changing business rules does not affect the UI code

When Should You Use It?

MVC is ideal for applications that have a user interface and involve both data processing and user interaction. It's commonly used in web apps, desktop apps, and mobile interfaces.

Real-world scenarios include:

• Banking systems where users interact with their accounts
• Online shopping carts
• Admin dashboards with forms and reports
• Any app that needs to update its UI based on user actions or backend changes

When Not to Use It: For very small apps or simple scripts, MVC may be overkill. If there's no UI or the logic is minimal, simpler patterns are better.

What to Implement

MVC splits your code into three key components:

• Model: Holds the data and business logic. It's unaware of the View or Controller.
• View: Displays the data. It gets information from the Model and presents it to the user.
• Controller: Acts as the middleman. It receives input, updates the Model, and refreshes the View.

How It Works in C#

// Model
public class Account {
    public string AccountNumber { get; set; }
    public decimal Balance { get; set; }
}

// View
public class AccountView {
    public void ShowBalance(Account account) {
        Console.WriteLine($"Your balance is: ${account.Balance}");
    }
}

// Controller
public class AccountController {
    private readonly Account _account;
    private readonly AccountView _view;

    public AccountController(Account account, AccountView view) {
        _account = account;
        _view = view;
    }

    public void Withdraw(decimal amount) {
        if (_account.Balance >= amount) {
            _account.Balance -= amount;
            _view.ShowBalance(_account);
        } else {
            Console.WriteLine("Insufficient funds");
        }
    }
}

// Usage
var account = new Account { AccountNumber = "123456", Balance = 500 };
var view = new AccountView();
var controller = new AccountController(account, view);

controller.Withdraw(100);  // Your balance is: $400

Final Thoughts

MVC is a tried and tested pattern that makes large-scale apps easier to manage. It brings order to your code by giving each part of your app a clear role.

Whether you're building a simple form or a full banking system, understanding MVC will help you create apps that are cleaner, testable, and ready to scale.