Re: PAC (presentation-abstraction-control) question


PAC is from the book "A System of Patterns" pattern oriented software
architecture, by Frank Buschmann, and 4 others.

PAC is "sort of"a multi-level MVC (although not exactly). EAch
component of the system is called an agent. An agent has 3 components:
1) a "presentation" which combines the V and the C from MVC and is
responsible for the visible behavior. 2) An "abstraction" which is the
model from MVC, and 3) a "controller" that connects the presentation
and abstraction components inside the agent, and also communicates with
other external agents, both at higher levels, and at lower levels.
(PAC creates a hierarchy of agents, with the top level agent being the
most common and deepest, for instance it might contain an archive of
all the core data in the system and perhaps a main frame view of the
app.)

I am familiar with MVC and have used it once before, and I am inclined
to use it again (at least a modified version). But this PAC
architecture intrigued me because it seems to allow you to structure
your system as loosely coupled 'agents" which appeals to me. But as
I'm trying to design it (on top of Qt), it's looking complex and
problematic. For instance the problem I mentioned in the post. I'm
exploring if the extra effort is worth the effort or not. Also
structuring an app like this (a PAC) is new to me.

.