The document discusses different software architectural patterns for managing complexity in web applications. It begins by explaining model-view-controller (MVC) and some of its limitations. It then introduces Action Domain Responder (ADR) as a refinement of MVC that maps more closely to the lifecycle of a web request. Next, it covers hexagonal architecture, also known as ports and adapters, which isolates an application from its inputs and outputs. Finally, it provides an overview of domain-driven design (DDD), including architectural patterns like bounded contexts and object patterns like entities, value objects, domain services, aggregates, and repositories.

1. Confoo 2015
Beyond MVC: From
Model to Domain
Jeremy Cook

2. What is a domain?

3. –http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/domain
“a specified sphere of activity or knowledge.”

4. –http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_(software_engineering)
“A domain is a field of study that defines a set of
common requirements, terminology, and
functionality for any software program
constructed to solve a problem…”

5. What is MVC?

6. Interaction of MVC Layers
User
Model
Controller
Uses
Manipulates
View
Updates
Sees

7. Interaction of MVC Layers
User
Model
Controller
View

8. Problems with ‘web’ MVC
❖ Use of the term ‘Model’ is an issue…
❖ Easy to muddy responsibilities in the controller
❖ Offers no guidance in modelling the most critical part of
our apps: the model or domain

9. –http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model–view–controller
“Model–view–controller (MVC) is a software
architectural pattern for implementing user
interfaces.”

10. This talk is about managing
complexity

11. Introducing Action Domain
Responder

12. What is Action Domain Responder?
❖ Created by Paul M Jones
❖ Web specific refinement of MVC
❖ Designed to map more closely to what actually happens
in the lifecycle of a web request

13. What is Action Domain Responder?
❖ Model
❖ View
❖ Controller

14. What is Action Domain Responder?
❖ Controller
❖ Model
❖ View

15. What is Action Domain Responder?
❖ Controller Action
❖ Model Domain
❖ View Responder

16. Action
❖ In ADR an action is mapped to a single class or closure
❖ Creates a single place for all code dealing with an action
❖ Does not directly create a view or HTTP response

17. Responder
❖ ADR recognizes that a web response is more than a
view
❖ Action instantiates a responder object and injects
domain data in it
❖ Responder is responsible for generating all aspects of
the response

18. Domain
❖ ADR offers no help on modelling a domain…
❖ …but at least Paul calls it a domain!
❖ Other patterns later will offer more help here

19. ADR Example
<?php
interface ActionInterface {
public function __construct(ResponderFactoryInterface $factory);
public function __invoke(RequestInterface $request);
}

20. ADR Example
<?php
class FooAction implements ActionInterface {
protected $responderFactory;
public function __construct(ResponderFactoryInterface $factory) {
$this->responderFactory = $factory;
}
public function __invoke(RequestInterface $request) {
//Domain logic here
$responder = $this->responderFactory->generateForRequest($request);
return $responder();
}
}

21. Further information on ADR
❖ https://github.com/pmjones/adr

22. Hexagonal Architecture

23. Ports and Adapters
Hexagonal Architecture

24. What’s wrong with ‘Hexagonal Architecture’?
❖ Has nothing to do with hexagons
❖ Has nothing to do with the number 6
❖ Ports and adapters describes what this actually does

25. What are Ports and Adapters?
❖ Invented by Alistair Cockburn
❖ Architectural pattern for isolating an application from
its inputs.

26. –Alistair Cockburn
“Allow an application to equally be driven by
users, programs, automated test or batch scripts,
and to be developed and tested in isolation from
its eventual run-time devices and databases.”

27. –Alistair Cockburn
“Allow an application to equally be driven by
users, programs, automated test or batch scripts,
and to be developed and tested in isolation from
its eventual run-time devices and databases.”

28. Ports and Adapters
Application

29. Ports and Adapters
Application

30. Ports and Adapters
Application
Adapters Adapters
Adapters
Adapters
AdaptersAdapters

31. Ports and Adapters
Domain
Adapters Adapters
Adapters
Adapters
AdaptersAdapters

32. HTTP Adapter
<?php
class FooAction implements ActionInterface {
protected $responderFactory;
protected $service;
public function __construct(ResponderFactoryInterface $factory,
ApplicationServiceInterface $service) {
$this->responderFactory = $factory;
$this->service = $service;
}
public function __invoke(RequestInterface $request) {
$result = $this->service->__invoke($request->getParamsArray());
$responder = $this->responderFactory->generateForRequest($request);
return $responder($result);
}
}

33. AMQP Adapter
<?php
class FooConsumer implements AMQPConsumer {
protected $service;
public function __construct(ApplicationServiceInterface $service) {
$this->service = $service;
}
public function __invoke(AMQPMessage $msg) {
$data = json_decode($msg->body, true);
$result = $this->service->__invoke($data);
if ($result->isStatusOk()) {
$msg->delivery_info['channel']
->basic_ack($msg->delivery_info['delivery_tag']);
}
}
}

34. Advantages of Ports and Adapters
❖ Encapsulation of the domain
❖ Allows development of the domain and adapters to
be independent
❖ Allows better end to end testability of the domain
❖ Makes it simple to add new entry points to an app

35. Further information on Ports and Adapters
❖ The original article introducing ports and adapters:
http://alistair.cockburn.us/Hexagonal+architecture

36. Introducing Domain Driven
Design

37. What is Domain Driven Design?
❖ Concept coined by Eric Evans
❖ Ideas can be grouped into two related areas:
❖ Architectural patterns
❖ Object patterns

38. DDD Interaction Map

39. Read some books

40. Architectural patterns

41. Your app has multiple domains

42. Ubiquitous language
❖ Develop a shared language to describe each domain
and model the software after it
❖ The domain should be an expression of the ubiquitous
language in code
❖ Aim is to unite all members of a product team, from
developers to product managers

43. Bounded contexts
❖ Represents the boundary around a domain
❖ All code within a domain is completely encapsulated
with specific entry points
❖ Code and concepts are unique per domain

44. Context map
❖ Describes relationships between domains
❖ Outlines all points of contact between domains
❖ Can also include existing systems

45. Object patterns

46. Entities
❖ Represents a concept in your domain
❖ Each instance of a entity should be considered unique
❖ Houses logic and operation on the concept

47. Value Objects
❖ Used when you only care about the attributes and logic
of the concept
❖ Immutable
❖ All methods must be side effect free
❖ Mutator methods must return a new instance of the
value object
❖ Prefer value objects over simple types

48. Value Objects
<?php
class Employee {
public function __construct($firstName, $lastName) {
//Code here
}
}
$person = new Employee('Cook', 'Jeremy'); //WHOOPS!

49. Value Objects
<?php
class Firstname {
protected $firstname;
public function __construct($firstname) {
if (! is_string($firstname)) {
throw new InvalidArgumentException(/**ErrorMessage**/);
}
$this->firstname = $firstname;
}
public function __toString() {
return $this->firstname;
}
}

50. Value Objects
<?php
class Employee {
public function __construct(Firstname $firstName, Lastname $lastName) {
//Code here
}
}
//This will now cause an error
$person = new Employee(new Lastname('Cook'), new Firstname('Jeremy'));

51. Entities vs Value Objects
!==
Bank Account
Owner: Jeremy
Balance: $1,000,000
Account #: 12345
===
Currency
Name: Canadian Dollar
Abbr: CAD
Symbol: $
Currency
Name: Canadian Dollar
Abbr: CAD
Symbol: $
Bank Account
Owner: Jeremy
Balance: $1,000,000
Account #: 12346

52. Domain Services
❖ Encapsulates an operation that is not owned by another
part of the domain model
❖ A good service has three properties:
❖ Models a domain concept that does not conceptually
belong to an entity or value object
❖ Stateless
❖ Defined in terms of the domain model

53. Domain Services
<?php
class MoneyTransfer {
public static function transferBetweenAccounts(Account $from, Account
$to, Money $amount) {
$from->debitForTransfer($money, $to);
$to->creditFromTransfer($money, $from);
}
}
//In the application service...
$from = $accountRepository->findByAccNumber('123456');
$to = $accountRepository->findByAccNumber('123457');
$money = new Money('100', new Currency('CAD'));
MoneyTransfer::transferBetweenAccounts($from, $to, $money);

54. Aggregates
❖ A collection of entities contained by another entity
❖ The containing entity is the aggregate root
❖ Individual aggregate instances can only be accessed
through the aggregate root

55. Repositories
❖ A specialised adapter that maps entities to and from the
persistence layer
❖ Provides methods to retrieve entities and save them
❖ Abstracts the details of the persistence layer away from
the domain

56. Domain Events
❖ Allows a domain to signal that something as happened
❖ Full part of the domain and a representation of
something that has happened
❖ Used to signal something that might trigger a state
change in another domain

57. Domain Events
$event = EventFactory::createEventForSuccessfulAccountTransfer($from, $to,
$money);
$eventType = EventTypes::SUCCESSFUL_MONEY_TRANSFER;
$eventDispatcher->raiseEvent($eventType, $event);
<?php
class MoneyTransfer {
public static function transferBetweenAccounts(Account $from, Account
$to, Money $amount) {
$from->debitForTransfer($money, $to);
$to->creditFromTransfer($money, $from);
}
}
//In the application service...
$from = $accountRepository->findByAccNumber('123456');
$to = $accountRepository->findByAccNumber('123457');
$money = new Money('100', new Currency('CAD'));
MoneyTransfer::transferBetweenAccounts($from, $to, $money);

58. Further Information on DDD
❖ Eric Evans
❖ “Domain Driven Design” book
❖ Short introduction: https://domainlanguage.com/
ddd/patterns/DDD_Reference_2011-01-31.pdf
❖ Implementing Domain Driven Design by Vaughn
Vernon

59. Avoid projects like this!

60. Thanks for listening!
❖ Any questions?
❖ I’d love some feedback
❖ Feel free to contact me
❖ jeremycook0@icloud.com
❖ @JCook21