I have a main client application class which instantiates and displays my main frame (Frame subclass). This frame is composed of a menu, toolbar and 3 panels (JPanel subclasses): a search panel, a results panel and a book a seat panel. I designed my GUI this way so that these panels might eventually be reused. Now, I understand that swing components have a models (my results panel has a JTable which has a FlightsTableModel). But my question is should my search, result and book a flight panels have models and controllers as well? At an even higher level, should my main frame contain a controller and model? Perhaps this is overkill?
i guess your frame controlls all views (searchpanel, resultspanel and bookpanel) and creates a model (flighttablemodel).
All views are using the same data which is in the model, they just have a different output. One is showing only possible searches, one is showing the output of the search and one is holding (maybe showing the selected item). This does mean they are all using the same model.
Above i am just describing my design. One controller which is a frame, three views which are panels and one model, which is derived from abstractTableModel.
I may be wrong, but i think you are pretty much there.
regards,
friso