Spring MVC Architecture in Java: Diagram, Advantages and Examples

Did you know that the global Spring market is expected to reach USD 33.87 billion by 2030? This growth highlights the widespread adoption of frameworks like Spring MVC, which is one of the most widely used for building Java-based web applications.

But exactly what is Spring MVC, and why has it become the go-to choice for developers? As a part of the larger Spring Framework, Spring MVC follows a model-view-controller (MVC) architecture that separates an application’s concerns, making it easier to manage and scale. 

In this blog, we’ll break down the Spring MVC architecture, its key components, and how it helps create high-performance, scalable web applications. Let’s dive in!

What is Spring MVC and Why is it Important?

When you think of building web applications in Java, Spring MVC is one framework that’s hard to ignore. 

Spring MVC is known for its robust Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, which streamlines the development process by separating different concerns, making your code cleaner, more modular, and easier to maintain.

Curious how the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern actually comes to life in practice? Let’s break it down.

How Does the Model-View-Controller (MVC) Pattern Work?

In the MVC pattern, the flow is seamless. But how does it really work? At its core, Spring MVC organizes your application into three primary components:

• Model: This is the heart of your application, where all your business logic and data live. It communicates with the database, handles the data, and prepares it to be displayed.
• View: The view is what the user interacts with. It’s the presentation layer that takes the data from the model and turns it into a readable format, whether that’s HTML, JSON, or another format.
• Controller: The controller acts as the middleman. It listens to user input, processes it with the model, and sends the appropriate data to the view.

Understanding Spring MVC Architecture & Flow Diagram

The Spring MVC architecture is like a well-oiled machine, with each key component working together to process user requests, manage business logic, and generate responses. 

Here's a simple flowchart to visualize how the Spring MVC framework works.

Request → Dispatcher Servlet → Controller → Model & View → View Resolver → View

Let’s take a closer look at how these key components work together, creating the seamless flow that makes Spring MVC so powerful!

1. Request

When a user sends a request (typically from a browser), it is captured by the Spring MVC framework. This request carries vital information that needs to be processed, such as user actions or parameters.

• Role: The request is the starting point of any action in Spring MVC.
• Importance: It initiates the entire flow, determining which controller and view will handle the data.

2. Dispatcher Servlet

The DispatcherServlet acts as the front controller in the Spring MVC framework. It’s the first point of contact for all incoming requests.

• Role: It receives requests and forwards them to the appropriate controllers.
• Importance: It centralizes request handling and dispatches tasks to relevant components (controllers, models, etc.).

Also Read: Servlet Program in Java: Servlet Tutorial For Beginners

3. Controller

Once the DispatcherServlet passes the request to the appropriate controller, it handles the business logic of the request. The controller interacts with the model and prepares data for the view.

• Role: The controller processes user input and calls the relevant services or models.
• Importance: It ensures the flow of information from the model to the view and orchestrates responses.

4. Model and View

After processing, the controller sends data to the model (business logic layer) for any necessary calculations or interactions with the database. Once this is done, the view is determined and prepared.

• Role: The model manages data, while the view is responsible for rendering the response.
• Importance: This separation ensures a clean structure, allowing flexibility in data manipulation and presentation.

5. View Resolver

The view resolver is responsible for resolving the logical view name returned by the controller into an actual view (such as a JSP page or HTML file).

• Role: It maps the controller’s view name to a specific view template.
• Importance: The view resolver allows Spring MVC to render dynamic content based on user interactions and data.

6. View

Finally, the view renders the response for the user. It displays the output from the model and handles user interaction results.

• Role: It’s the presentation layer that the user interacts with.
• Importance: The view is essential for delivering the final response to the user in a format they can understand (HTML, JSON, etc.).

Also Read: Introduction to Spring Architecture Framework

Now that you’ve explored Spring MVC and its architecture, let’s dive into the key advantages and reasons to choose it.

Why Choose Spring MVC Architecture? Key Advantages

Spring MVC is more than just a framework; it’s a powerful toolkit for building modular, efficient, and robust web application architectures.

By separating business logic, data storage, and the user interface, it allows you to focus on each component independently, making it a top choice for Java projects. 

Now, let us unleash the critical advantages of Spring MVC architecture.

• Different Roles: Spring MVC assigns specific roles to the model, view, and controller, ensuring clear responsibilities, while enhancing the maintainability and modularity of your application.
• Lightweight Framework: Spring MVC architecture is lightweight in both runtime and configuration, leading to faster development and deployment without adding unnecessary complexity to your application.
• Flexible and Powerful Configuration: Spring MVC allows you to choose the structure that best suits your project, with support for XML and annotation-based configuration.
• Rapid Development: Spring MVC supports rapid development by providing features, built-in form handling, annotations in java, and validation. It simplifies coding, allowing you to concentrate on business productivity.
• Reusable Business Code: Spring MVC encourages code reusability by decoupling business logic from presentation and request handling, which helps avoid data duplication and makes the application easier to maintain and scale.
• Testability and Ease of Testing: Spring MVC enhances testability by integrating with JUnit and Mockito, allowing independent testing of components for reliable, bug-free applications.
• Flexible Mapping Options: Spring MVC provides flexible mapping options by using annotations, elevating control over requests, and making it easy to design web pages.
• Dependency Injection: Spring MVC uses Dependency Injection to reduce coupling and increase adaptability, such as when integrating services like database connections without creating tight dependencies.

Also Read: A Beginner’s Guide to MVC Architecture in Java

Practical Examples of the Spring Web MVC Framework

When you're building applications, the right framework can make a world of difference, and Spring MVC stands out for a reason.

With its solid structure and adaptability, it's well-suited for every industry, from customer management systems to inventory platforms, making it an essential tool in your development toolkit that helps you get the job done with ease and efficiency.

Let's take a look at some practical, real-world examples where Spring MVC shines in action.

Online Banking Application

Think about setting up an online banking platform where customers can check account balances, view transaction history, and transfer funds securely. Spring MVC makes all of this possible with ease.

Here’s how it handles specific tasks:

This demonstrates how Spring MVC not only handles user requests but also ensures smooth integration with the back-end and security components. 

E-commerce Platform

Now, let’s switch gears to e-commerce. Whether you're building a small shop or a giant like Amazon, Spring MVC is perfect for handling key functions like product listings, user logins, and shopping carts. 

Here’s a breakdown of how it works: 

By the time you finish evaluating Spring MVC, you’ll understand its strengths for building scalable e-commerce platforms. Now that you’ve seen the applications in real-life, it’s time to explore the challenges you may face when using it.

Also Read: Top 18 Exciting Spring Projects Ideas & Topics For Beginners [2024]

What Challenges Come with Using the Spring MVC Framework?

Getting to grips with the Spring MVC architecture's limitations is like knowing your toolkit inside out before starting a project. 

By being aware of things like complex setup, performance hiccups, and how it might feel too heavy for simple tasks, you'll be in a better position to pick the right tool for the job and keep your development process smooth and efficient.

Let us uncover some challenges encountered by Spring MVC architecture.

• Complex Configuration: Spring MVC encounters complex configuration, which results in time-consuming setup, excessive code, and numerous feature configurations that might not be required for setting up small web applications.
• Performance Overhead: Spring MVC utilizes reflections, proxies, and extensive bean management to carry out operations, leading to performance overhead and elevating memory usage and startup time. 
• Heavyweight for Simple Application: A rich set of features incorporated by Spring MVC architecture might make simple applications complex and heavy, causing unwanted delays and longer development cycles.

Also Read: Java Tutorial: Learn Java Programming From Scratch For Beginners

Now that you’re familiar with what is Spring MVC and its architecture, looking to take it a step further and apply it in real-world scenarios? upGrad can help you with that journey.

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