Chapter 7. State Diagrams

This chapter focuses on state diagrams, also known as statechart diagrams, which depict the lifecycle of elements that make up a system. First, I introduce state diagrams and how they are used. Next, I go over states and their details. Finally, I discuss transitions between states and their details. Many details of state diagrams that were not fleshed out in Chapter 2 are more fully elaborated here, and throughout the chapter, I include suggestions relating to state diagrams.

State modeling is a specialized type of behavioral modeling concerned with modeling the lifecycle of an element. You usually apply state modeling in conjunction with interaction and collaboration modeling (Chapter 6) to explore the lifecycle of interacting and collaborating elements.