KnockoutJS is one of the great JavaScript libraries that follows MVVM design pattern. MVVM pattern is originated from Microsoft with Silverlight/WPF application development. KnockoutJS is the JavaScript implementation of this pattern.
These are some of the key benefits of developing web applications in MVVM pattern with KnockoutJS.
1. Provide a clear separation between UI and business/backend logics.
Model - Data objects in business/backend. (This is JSON data object returned from a RESTful service or AJAX call.)
View - User Interface.
View Model - Model of the view or represent data in the UI. This provides an abstraction of a view. View interacts with View Model through data binding.
2. Two way data bindings and automatic UI refresh - This means when UI changes, View Model updates automatically. When View Model changes, UI refreshes automatically.
3. Dependency Tracking - Knockout automatically detects and handles dependencies between properties and cascades changes accordingly.
Visual Studio MVC 4 Internet and Mobile application templates come with reference to KnockoutJS. So, this is an indication of Microsoft’s continuous support of KnockoutJS as the JavaScript MVVM library.
