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MVVMmmmmmmmmmmm

Ward BellVP Technology, IdeaBladeTwitter: @wardbellBlog: http://neverindoubtnet.blogspot.com/

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Thanks for the slide deck, John Papa

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Agenda

1. MVVM: What and Why2. Respond to User Actions3. Abstraction

4. Design with Data5. Data Services6. Testing

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Bookshelf in Action

demo

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Model View ViewModel

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Everybody’s doing it!

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MVVM

View Model

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MVVM

Model• Domain object• Properties• Model Validation

View

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MVVM

Model

View• The screen or page or control• User friendly presentation of information• Themes and Styles• User interactions

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ViewModel

MVVM

View Model

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MVVM

View Model

ViewModel• Glues the View to the Model• Databound to the View

• Properties• Commands• Methods

• Contains the Model• Talks to services and load/save the Model

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MVVM

Model

View• The screen or page or control• User friendly presentation of information• Themes and Styles• User interactions

• Bindings• Events• Behaviors

ViewModel

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Benefits of MVVM

Separation of concerns

Data binding (XAML)

Automated testing

Designer and developer symbiosis

Consistent, Maintainable, Scalable

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MVVM

View(e.g. Person Master/Details)

XAMLCode

Model(e.g. PeopleModel/Person)

ViewModel

Design w/ XAML

Presentation logic

Not reusable

BindingTell View when data changes

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Binding a View to a ViewModel

ViewModelLocatorINotifyPropertyChanged

demo

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Responding to User Actions

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Handling User Actions

Commands•ButtonBase support•ICommand•Toggle IsEnabled (CanExecute)

Behaviors•For other actions•EventToCommand and InvokeCommandAction

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Commands and Behaviors

demo

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Services and Separation

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Services• Perform operations • Reusable tasks

MVVM

View Model

+ Services

MV

VM

ViewModel• Presentation logic• Handle user interaction• Reference Models

Reusable Services

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Separating the Services

Services provide related tasks to the callerBookDataService, SecurityService, BookEditor

ViewModel uses a Service Passed through the constructor (Dependency Injection)ViewModel can focus on bindings and logic

Easily refactored and testableServices implement an interface

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Adding Value with Services

BookViewModel talks to services

demo

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RIA Platforms and MVVM

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RIA Platforms

Data access and Server communicationsData modeling as Entities (not DTOs) Binding directly to Entities

INPC and INDEIYou get EntityManager/DomainContext

Your gateway to the serverChange tracking

Abstraction through Services

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DevForce and MVVM

Behind the BookDataService

demo

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MVVM+ Messaging

MV

VM

MV

VMDirect Message?

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MVVM+ Messaging

MV

VM

Publish

MV

VM

SubscribeMessaging Service

Confirmation Dialog

Subscribe

EventAggregator Pattern

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Confirmation Dialog Example

Define a message type (ConfirmationDialogMessage)Send method knows MessengerServiceMessage defines its own payload

Publish message (BookSaver:SaveSuccessful)

Subscribe to message (MainPage:DialogMessageReceived)Subscriber acquires MessengerServiceSubscriber registers action for message

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Messaging

demo

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Blendability & Design Time Data

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Design Time Data What am I looking at?

Isn’t this easier/more productive?

Are my bindings right?How’s my layout?Ah!

Notice I’ve tested my Submit Button Logic

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Swapping Services

Services won’t run in the Blend and Visual Studio designersNeed design time callsService Providers

If DesignTimeCreate Design Time Services

ElseCreate Regular Services

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Blendability: Data in the Designer

Service Provider and Design Time ServicesUsing cached sample data - “Self-initializing Fake”

demo

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Automated Testing

demo

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Review: Benefits of MVVM

Separation of concerns

Data binding (XAML)

Automated testing

Designer and developer symbiosis

Consistent, Maintainable, Scalable

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Summary

1. MVVM: What and Why2. Respond to User Actions3. Abstraction

4. Design with Data5. Data Services6. Testing

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ResourcesWeb:

IdeaBlade: www.ideablade.comBookshelf in DevForce: links.ideablade.com/drc-bookshelfSL Firestarter 2010: links.ideablade.com/firestarter10-mvvm MIX 2010 MVVM: links.ideablade.com/mix10-laurent-mvvm MVVM Light: links.ideablade.com/mvvmlightSL Test Framework: links.ideablade.com/sl-utf

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