algorithmmonkey

This is really starting to sound like what java / .net were doing with wsdl code generators via soap.

Devs that integrate with multiple apis know there is a problem with the wide range of implementations, from authentication to communication patterns. This makes it a pain to integration with multiple service providers. Without some form a standardization you must have an intermediary library to provide an abstraction.

Are we doing it right?? The community has recognized the problem of non-standard lightweight services to be widespread enough to create a tool to standardize communication with them.

Would something like HAL (http://stateless.co/hal_specification.html) be a start down a path where we can have lightweight services that are also self documenting?

MVC may not be a solid pattern for a client side framework. It makes sense to contain some semblance of state with in the presentation layer on the client side, rather than working with a stateless MVC pattern.

http://www.martinfowler.com/eaaDev/uiArchs.html MVP via M. Fowler seems a little closer to what client side should feel like (imho).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_View_ViewModel MVVM also makes sense for a client side app, which is just an extension of MVP.

IMO MVC on the client side is just a carry over from people who were experienced in writing web apps who wanted something that felt familiar on the client side. It's a leaky abstraction at best.