State diagram

A state diagram is a graph whose nodes are states and whose directed arcs are transitions
between states.

A state diagram specifies the state sequences caused by event sequences.

 The state diagram is a standard computer science concept that relates events and state.
 Events represent external stimuli.
 States represent value of objects.
 All objects in a class execute the state diagram for that class, which models their common
behavior.
 The UML notation for a state diagram is a rectangle with object name in a small pentagonal tag
in the upper left corner.

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Components of state diagram
Initial State
 A solid circle with an outgoing arrow shows the initial state.
Final State OR

 A bull’s eye – a solid circle surrounded by a hollow circle/encircled X shows the termination
point.
State
State
 Drawn as a rounded box containing the name of the state.
 State names must be unique within the scope of the state diagram.
 Our convention is to list state name in boldface, center the name near the top of the box, and
capitalize the first letter.
event(attribs) [condition]
Transition/Event
 Drawn as a line from the origin state to the target state.
 An arrowhead points to the target state.
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Components of state diagram
event(attribs) [condition]
Guard condition
 A guard condition is a Boolean expression that must be true in order for a transition to occur.
 A guarded transition fires when its event occurs.
 Optionally listed in square brackets after an event.

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How to draw a state diagram
 Step 1: Identify the important objects.
 Step 2: Identify the possible states in which the object can exist.
 Step 3: Identify the initial state and the final terminating states.
 Step 4: Label the events which trigger these transitions.

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State diagram for library management system
 Identify the important objects
 Book
 CD/DVD
 News Paper
 Librarian
 Member
 Identify the states of Book’s Object
 Available
 Issue
 Return
 Renew
 Identify the events / transition
 Book issued to user
 Submit the book
 Request to issue same book
 Completion of exam / end of the Semester
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State diagram of book

Book

Book issued to user

Available Issue

Request to issue same book

Submit the book

Book re-issue
Return Renew

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Example: State diagram of Bank Automated Teller Machine (ATM)
 This is an example of UML behavioral state diagram showing Bank Automated Teller Machine
(ATM) top level state machine.
 ATM is initially turned off. After the power is turned on, ATM performs startup action and
enters Self Test state.
 If the test fails, ATM goes into Out of Service state, otherwise there is trigger less transition to
the Idle state. In this state ATM waits for customer interaction.
 The ATM state changes from Idle to Serving Customer when the customer inserts banking or
credit card in the ATM's card reader.
 On entering the Serving Customer state, the entry action readCard is performed.
 Note, that transition from Serving Customer state back to the Idle state could be triggered by
cancel event as the customer could cancel transaction at any time.
 Serving Customer state is a composite state with sequential substates Customer
Authentication, Selecting Transaction and Transaction.

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State diagram of Bank Automated Teller Machine (ATM)
Bank ATM

turn off / shut-down turn off / shut-down

off

turn on /
startup
successfully failure
Self Test

turn on /
restart
failure
service Out of
Idle Maintenance Service
service
cancel

card inserted remove card failure

serving customer

Customer Selecting
Transaction
Authentication Transaction

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Example: State diagram of Online Order
 Here is just another example of how an online ordering system might look like.
 On the event of an order being received, we transit from initial state to Unprocessed order
state.
 The unprocessed order is checked.
 If the order is rejected, we transit to the Rejected order state.
 If the order is accepted and we have the items available, we transit to the fulfilled order state.
 However if the items are not available, we transit to the Pending order state.
 After the order is fulfilled, we transit to the final state. In this example, we merge the two states
i.e. Fulfilled order and Rejected order into one final state.

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State diagram of Online Order

Order
order received

Unprocessed

Rejected Accepted

items are available

Pending Fulfilled

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