State Machine Design

What it does

This skill automatically generates state machine diagrams and code based on natural language descriptions of system behavior. It allows users to design finite state machines and statecharts for modeling entity lifecycles, workflows, and overall system behavior. The tool leverages established patterns and standards, emphasizing a documentation-first approach and adherence to Harel statechart semantics.

When to use it

• When working on state machine or statechart modeling tasks for lifecycle and behavior specification.
• During planning or design phases when needing guidance on state machine approaches.
• To ensure adherence to established patterns and standards in state machine design.

Key capabilities

• Generates state machine diagrams based on natural language descriptions.
• Supports various state types including Initial, Normal, Final, Composite, Parallel, History, and Choice.
• Utilizes PlantUML syntax for diagram representation.
• Incorporates core elements such as States, Transitions, Events, Guards, Actions, Entry Actions, and Exit Actions.
• Requires the docs-management skill to access state machine patterns.

Example prompts

• "Design a state machine for an order processing system with states Draft, Submitted, and Paid."
• "Create a statechart that models a user authentication flow including Login, Verification, and Access Granted states."
• "Show me the best practices for designing a state machine in PlantUML."

Tips & gotchas

• Documentation-First: Always invoke the docs-management skill first to access relevant state machine patterns before using this skill.
• MCP Dependency: The skill relies on MCP servers (like context7 for XState) to verify implementation patterns. Ensure these are accessible.
• Harel Semantics: The generated designs will be based on Harel statechart semantics, so familiarity with those concepts is beneficial.