Model-View-Controller (MVC) is a design pattern that provides a clear separation of responsibilities for graphical objects. Data, control, and presentation are treated as separate and interchangeable parts. MVC provides a concise definition for constructing reusable and extensible graphical user interface objects. The MVC design pattern separates a graphical object into three parts: model, view, and controller.

Objective Views is based on the Stingray Foundation Library’s implementation of Model-View-Controller (MVC). In addition to providing a solid foundation on which to build graphical components and document management services, MVC adds support for scrolling, zooming, coordinate mapping, and command undo and redo. The MVC framework is part of the Stingray Foundation Library, which is installed with Objective Views. Use of Objective Views does not require in-depth knowledge of MVC, but users are encouraged to read the MVC section in the Stingray Foundation Library User’s Guide.