The idea behind this CRUD model is that it can be called by any controller for any table. The data about that table, and how you want its update form displayed is held once, in an array. Everything else is standard: the controller just identifies itself (and thereby the table it acts on) and if necessary, gives an ID number for a record. So all you have to do is write a few simple controllers, and all the work of setting out forms and making database connections is done for you.

Remember that the user can't talk to a model directly, so (s)he has to go through a controller every time. You could put all the code in the controller, but then you'd have to copy it all for each new controller. This way, there is only one set of CRUD code in the model, so only one set to update and maintain. The price is that you have to keep passing information backwards and forwards between controllers and model, which makes the code slightly more difficult to follow.

For the...