The crude/simple explanation I think is to imagine your program like an Excel spreadsheet: Some cells on the spreadsheet contain your client-side data (i.e. you

The crude/simple explanation I think is to imagine your program like an Excel spreadsheet: Some cells on the spreadsheet contain your client-side data (i.e. your "model"). Other cells are used by a javascript library to decide what's in the DOM (i.e. your "view") The "flow-based programming" model involves creating all the formulas that shuffle the data from the model to the view. At least that's what I can gather from what I've read (and I agree it's always been a big fail in the past, though there may be some merit to this idea eventually in limited roles.)