Trying to find the MVC framework’s place in the development world view of Web 2.0 and EXTJS (or any other JavaScript library) I am reminded of Microsoft's 2000 PDC unveiling of ASP.NET and the announcement of the fairy dust of integration, web services (you just need a sprinkle). 

When ASP.NET was introduced developers knew that things were changing (especially if you came from a classic asp world).  You just weren’t quite sure what you needed to do to make these changes work for you.  I remember the first two years of ASP.NET as a blur of failed projects; trying to find reason to implement the fairy dust of web service based architects (soon to tagged as SOA).   Working with the MVC framework gives me a similar feeling…….I know it’s a needed change but I’m not if Microsoft’s has made the reason we need the MVC framework very clear.

While MVC is a small framework and tiny in comparison to the changes brought on by the Post-Classic ASP cold war, it does hint at what’s to come.  The more I work with Javascript libraries and “Service” based ASP.NET projects the less of a role I see ASP.NET playing in the rendering of UI Controls. That is where MVC pays its dividends,  taking care of the server side architect and letting client based scripting take care of the UI Magic.

MVC plugged into the traditional way of building ASP.NET makes little sense (the least sense for the drag and droppers).  But, if web apps continue to evolve into more Rich State filled Balls of AJAX wonder, MVC may be the next fairy dust.

Here is a link to Alan Lok’s excellent look at MVC and EXTJS: Ext JS and ASP.NET MVC