From: John Carter <john.carter@...>
Date: 2006-09-11T06:34:28+09:00
Subject: Re: state machine in ruby

First off I would just like to note a small mathematical congruence....

Every state machine can be replaced by a Thread. ie. Instead of a tangly
state machine, you have a thread sucking on an event queue.

Sometimes I find that really cleans things up.

Now add Ruby Exception classes and rescues into the mix and the picture
can start to get quite rosy.

Another wild off the wall trick I have used with great success several
times in my life....

Translate the events into char's.

Then an event stream is a string.

Then a Regexp is a very very powerful, terse and expressive way of
recognizing exceedingly complex event streams.


John Carter                             Phone : (64)(3) 358 6639
Tait Electronics                        Fax   : (64)(3) 359 4632
PO Box 1645 Christchurch                Email : john.carter@tait.co.nz
New Zealand

"We have more to fear from
  The Bungling of the Incompetent
  Than from the Machinations of the Wicked." (source unknown)