Specific Format of State Machine Diagram

[saniea]

Hi everyone,

I am relatively new to both UML and EA. I am attempting to model a state machine for our system. Every state in our system has multiple actions in the entry/do/exit actions. Somewhat like the image attached to the post, taken from https://sparxsystems.com/resources/gallery/diagrams/software/sw-state_machine-pedestrian_crossing.html



The problem I'm facing is that I cannot figure out how to add multiple actions in the entry/do/exit actions. I understand I might have to do something like marking "effect is behaviour" but I don't really get how to do that. I also couldn't find any tutorials or guides as to how I can achieve this.

Any help will be appreciated. Thank yoouuu!

Saniea 

[Rethinking]

Hi Saniea,


Not sure if you've had any replies to your post. I'm relatively new to EA too, but am playing with simulations based on State Machines. I think we might have quite similar requirements.


To add multiple actions as an Effect, simply type something like: sim.var1.foo; sim.var1.bar; as Javascript into the Effect box on the Transitions. You can press Enter to get a new line. You don't need to click on "Effect is a Behaviour" - this is if you want to re-use some behaviours from your model itself and then you can link off to a behaviour that you've already modelled.


There are good resources on the Sparx website, such as:


https://sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/14.0/model_simulation/dynamic_simulation_with_javasc.html
Scott has done a number of videos such as: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SFuzrVvL_A This one is quite a short, basic one. About three minutes in, it gets to an example of how to use State Models within simulations.


Hope this helps ...


Best Regards,


Rethinking Transport

[saniea]

Hey Rethinking,

Thank you for your reply! I had made no progress since my post despite looking around for possible solutions.

I'll try out what you suggested but I don't really want to do any simulations and essentially just want a State Machine diagram. Is it possible to write plain statements in the Effect box on the Transitions? (essentially where you suggested I write something like sim.var1.foo; sim.var1.bar;, can I write simple words? Would that produce the same outcome?

I'm going to watch the video you recommended and try this out anyway. Thanks once again. I hope this works!

Best,

Saniea

[Rethinking]

Saniea,


How are you getting on with EA and your State Models ?

I think I understand what you're trying to do better now - you're just using EA to draw your state model diagram, right ? In which case, I think I see the problem - as far as I can see, there appears to be a limit of three actions on a state diagram. So, I think you have two choices as illustrated by this diagram:https://pasteboard.co/KevQarG.png.


Hope that helps.


Rethinking Transport

[PeterHeintz]

Hi,
I am not 100% sure, but I belief in UML there is only one entry-, do-, and exit- operation, but you can have many actions in those operations.

Those actions you can either put as text in the "Behavior" box or you can press the "Element" button to e.g. select an Activitie describing which actions will do what how.
To get some information visible in your SM diagram you have to check "Show Behaviour in Diagram".
I typicaliy always point to activities and to allow easy navigation to the activitiy diagram, I point to that diagram via the "select Composit Diagram" feature on the state.

[saniea]

Hi again,

Peter is right - though only one entry/do/exit operation are allowed, several actions can be carried out in each operation.

So I mostly figured out how to get what I want. The steps I took were:
 - Select the state you want to add the operations to
 - Go the "Features & Properties" window
 - In "Features & Properties" select the "Behavior" tab
 - In the "Behavior" tab, select the operation you want to add, e.g. entry and write in essentially a title in the "Name/Comment" section of the entry behavior
 - Then go the "Behavior Properties" window and under the "Behavior" tab, in the "Behavior" textbox, enter all the numerous actions you want to execute in the entry operation
 - Check "Show Behavior in Diagram" box, hit save and voila, all the actions will show up in the entry operation, exactly like in the picture I posted in my question.

The only issue now is that the entry/do/exit operations are not showing up in the correct order in the states, so I will be trying to figure that out next. If anyone has any clues about that, please let me know.

I hope this answer is useful to someone else as well! Thank you guys for your help!

[Rethinking]

Saniea,

I followed your instructions and it works well. Glad that you worked it out !!!

Rethinking

[avi10000]

Hi Saniea,
1. How do you get the line throw? By adding the semi-colons?
   Entry / setup
   Step 1;
   Step 2;
   Step 3

I tried that and did not get the line throw.

2.  >> Check "Show Behavior in Diagram" box, hit save and voila, all the actions will show up in the entry operation,

Where is the "Show Behavior in Diagram" box ?

Thanks
Avi
 

[saniea]

Hi Avi,

Please see attached image.

1. I simply wrote the steps in different lines and they appeared in different lines in the diagram. The semicolon was just for convenience.
2. The "show behavior in diagram" button is at the bottom of the text box where the behaviour properties are written.



Let me know if this helps! Also if the image is no longer visible. I will upload it again.

Saniea