MVC Pattern in React: Separating Business Logic from UI

Key Takeaway

Our React components mixed business logic, state management, and UI rendering in single massive files (1000+ lines), making them unmaintainable. Implementing MVC pattern with custom hooks for controllers separated concerns and reduced component complexity by 70%.

The Problem

// God component - 1200 lines of mixed concerns!
function ImageUploader() {
  const [files, setFiles] = useState([]);
  const [uploading, setUploading] = useState(false);
  const [progress, setProgress] = useState({});

  // Business logic mixed with UI
  const uploadFile = async (file) => {
    setUploading(true);
    // 50 lines of upload logic here...
  };

  const validateFile = (file) => {
    // 30 lines of validation logic...
  };

  const calculateChecksum = (file) => {
    // 40 lines of checksum logic...
  };

  // More business logic...

  // Finally, some UI at line 800
  return <div>...</div>;
}

Issues: 1000+ line files, hard to test, hard to reuse logic, hard to understand, hard to maintain.

The Solution

Model (Data & Types)

// models/upload.model.ts
export interface UploadFile {
  id: string;
  file: File;
  status: 'pending' | 'uploading' | 'completed' | 'failed';
  progress: number;
  checksum?: string;
  error?: string;
}

export interface UploadState {
  files: UploadFile[];
  isUploading: boolean;
  uploadCount: number;
}

Controller (Business Logic)

// controllers/useUploadController.ts
export function useUploadController() {
  const [state, setState] = useState<UploadState>({
    files: [],
    isUploading: false,
    uploadCount: 0
  });

  const addFiles = useCallback((newFiles: File[]) => {
    const uploadFiles: UploadFile[] = newFiles.map(file => ({
      id: generateId(),
      file,
      status: 'pending',
      progress: 0
    }));

    setState(prev => ({
      ...prev,
      files: [...prev.files, ...uploadFiles]
    }));
  }, []);

  const uploadFile = useCallback(async (fileId: string) => {
    const file = state.files.find(f => f.id === fileId);
    if (!file) return;

    // Update status
    updateFileStatus(fileId, 'uploading');

    try {
      // Calculate checksum
      const checksum = await calculateChecksum(file.file);

      // Upload with progress
      await uploadToS3(file.file, checksum, (progress) => {
        updateFileProgress(fileId, progress);
      });

      updateFileStatus(fileId, 'completed');
    } catch (error) {
      updateFileStatus(fileId, 'failed', error.message);
    }
  }, [state.files]);

  const removeFile = useCallback((fileId: string) => {
    setState(prev => ({
      ...prev,
      files: prev.files.filter(f => f.id !== fileId)
    }));
  }, []);

  return {
    // State
    files: state.files,
    isUploading: state.isUploading,

    // Actions
    addFiles,
    uploadFile,
    removeFile
  };
}

View (Pure UI)

// views/ImageUploader.tsx
export function ImageUploader() {
  // Controller provides all logic
  const {
    files,
    isUploading,
    addFiles,
    uploadFile,
    removeFile
  } = useUploadController();

  // Pure UI - no business logic!
  return (
    <div className="uploader">
      <FileDropzone onFilesAdded={addFiles} />

      <FileList
        files={files}
        onUpload={uploadFile}
        onRemove={removeFile}
      />

      {isUploading && <ProgressIndicator />}
    </div>
  );
}

// Presentational component
function FileList({ files, onUpload, onRemove }: Props) {
  return (
    <ul>
      {files.map(file => (
        <FileItem
          key={file.id}
          file={file}
          onUpload={onUpload}
          onRemove={onRemove}
        />
      ))}
    </ul>
  );
}

Implementation Details

Service Layer

// services/upload.service.ts
export class UploadService {
  private s3: S3Client;

  async uploadFile(
    file: File,
    checksum: string,
    onProgress: (progress: number) => void
  ): Promise<string> {
    // S3 upload logic
  }

  async calculateChecksum(file: File): Promise<string> {
    // Checksum calculation
  }

  async validateFile(file: File): Promise<ValidationResult> {
    // Validation logic
  }
}

// Use in controller
const uploadService = new UploadService();

function useUploadController() {
  const uploadFile = async (file: UploadFile) => {
    const checksum = await uploadService.calculateChecksum(file.file);
    await uploadService.uploadFile(file.file, checksum, updateProgress);
  };
}

Impact

Lessons Learned

1. Separate Concerns: Model-View-Controller keeps code organized
2. Custom Hooks as Controllers: Perfect for React business logic
3. Pure View Components: Easier to understand and style
4. Service Layer: Reusable across controllers
5. Testability: Controllers are easy to unit test