State machine
A state machine (or state diagram) is a diagram that shows the discrete states an object can be in and the transitions that move it between states, often with conditions or events on each transition.
In depth
State machines are foundational to anything that has lifecycle: an order (created → paid → fulfilled → returned), a UI component (idle → loading → success/error), or a hardware device (off → standby → running). Formally, a state machine is a 5-tuple of states, alphabet, transitions, initial state, and accept states.
Common variants include finite state machines (FSM), hierarchical state machines (Statecharts), and pushdown automata. Modern frontend tools like XState model UI as state machines for testability.
OpenCharts supports state-diagram-style nodes (state, initial pseudo-state, final pseudo-state, transition) with labeled arrows.
Also known as
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UML
UML (Unified Modeling Language) is a standardized family of diagrams used in software engineering to model systems, including class, sequence, activity, state, and use-case diagrams.
Sequence diagram
A sequence diagram is a UML interaction diagram that shows how objects or actors exchange messages over time, with vertical lifelines and horizontal arrows.
User flow
A user flow is a diagram that maps the steps a user takes through a product or service to accomplish a specific goal, including screens, actions, and decision points.