Sending events, receiving events, and accessing variables Copy link to clipboard
A state machine reference can be used to interact with the referenced state machine. All elements which are exposed by the state machine type can be used:
- Raise in events on the referenced state machine.
- React on out events from referenced state machines.
- Get and set variables (including referenced state machines).
The statechart TwoWayTrafficControl raises different events on the referenced state machines.
Different states (like
Release A) also use outgoing events (
trafficLightA.released) as transition triggers.
A loosely coupled architecture makes use of asynchronous message passing and this perfectly matches to statechart events. A statechart which raises an event should not make any assumptions when the event is processed.
Accessing variables implies a tighter coupling of state machines as these are accessed in a synchronized fashion.
As an example the statechart TwoWayTrafficControl could configure the TrafficLight state machines using variables that these provide.
entry / trafficLightA.config.realeasePeriod = 60
Here the v ariable releasePeriod is set as an entry action. releasePeriod is defined by the named interface config thus it is accessed in two step using the dot expression ‘.’ .