Each step leads from one status to another, starting from the initial status. Events are connected to entering, being in, or exiting a state. The way the history of an execution can be interpreted is given by a short algorithm. Two models are given for the way time is connected to the execution of steps. This paper is an excellent presentation of the use of statecharts for programming.
Syntax is ignored.
A user need not see the details of the mathematical definition, but he or she must be able to understand how it works in a relatively intuitive way. They have reached their goal. The paper is simple, clear, and well documented, with a good presentation of the state of the art in complex system specification and modeling. It is a valuable contribution to software engineering. The Digital Library is published by the Association for Computing Machinery.