Fsm(3C++)


Fsm -- simple deterministic finite state machines

Synopsis

   #include <Fsm.h>
   namespace SCO_SC {
   

class ostream; // See iostream(3C++) // Types of functions to be supplied by the client typedef int Fsm_action(Fsm& f,unsigned inp); typedef void Fsm_tracer(const Fsm& f,int s1,int inp,int s2); class Fsm{ public: // Constructors, destructor Fsm(unsigned n, unsigned init=0, Fsm_action* act=0); ~Fsm(); // Copy and assign Fsm(const Fsm& f); Fsm& operator=(const Fsm& f); // Specify transitions void trans( unsigned s1, unsigned inp, unsigned s2, Fsm_action* act=0 ); void trans( unsigned s1, unsigned lo, unsigned hi, unsigned s2, Fsm_action* act=0 ); void trans( unsigned s1, const char* reg, unsigned s2, Fsm_action* act=0 ); // Examine the machine unsigned nstates()const; unsigned nactions()const; unsigned state()const; unsigned initial_state()const; Fsm_action* action(unsigned state,unsigned inp)const; unsigned action_number(unsigned state, unsigned inp)const; unsigned target(unsigned state,unsigned inp)const; // Change the state of the machine int fire(unsigned inp); void go(unsigned state); void reset(); void abort(); // Trace state changes trace(Fsm_tracer* tracer); // Stream insertion friend ostream& operator<<(ostream& os,const Fsm& f); }; }

Description

A deterministic finite state machine (Fsm) consists of a set of states, among which one is distinguished as the initial state, and a set of transitions among those states. A transition from a given state is fired by an integer input and causes a programmer-defined action routine to be called. Upon return from the action routine, the machine state changes to a unique target state. Inputs and states must be unsigned integers in the range [0,255]. A maximum of 256 unique action routines can be defined for any given machine.

An Fsm is constructed by giving (1) the total number of states N (2) an optional initial state (which defaults to 0) and (3) an optional programmer-defined default action routine (which defaults to the null action). The resulting default machine has N states implicitly numbered 0,...,N-1 and occupies the specified initial state. For every (state,input) combination, the transitions of the default machine are defined as follows: first call the default action routine and then go to state 0. To redefine any one of these transitions, the client must specify a 4-tuple (start state, input, target state, action routine). Three functions named trans() allow clients to specify transitions in three different ways. One of these is convenient when working with inputs that represent printable characters; it accepts an ed(1)-style one-character regular expression and defines a transition for each printable character that matches the expression.

Transitions are effected by calling fire() with an integer input. fire() calls the action routine in the current state and places the machine in the target state when the action routine returns. Arbitrary state changes can be forced by calling go(), reset(), or abort(). If an action routine should itself call fire(), go(), reset(), or abort(), the state change that would normally take place upon return from the action routine will not occur.

State changes may be traced by supplying a user-defined trace routine.

Types of functions to be supplied by the client

typedef int Fsm_action(Fsm& f,unsigned inp); User-defined action routine. Action routines are called by function Fsm::fire() with two pieces of information: (1) a reference to the machine and (2) the input that caused the transition. This information is sufficient for a routine to perform any desired action, including one that modifies the machine state (for example, by recursively calling fire()). The return value may be any integer; it is not interpreted by the machine, but merely returned to the client as the result of function fire().

typedef void Fsm_tracer(const Fsm& f,int s1,int inp,int s2); User-defined trace routine. Trace routines are called each time a state change occurs, upon arrival in the new state. Their four parameters are: (1) a (constant) reference to machine, (2) the start state, (3) the input (if any) that caused the state change (4) the target state. A call to a trace routine resulting from a state change caused by go(), abort(), or reset() will have a negative value for inp.

Constructors, destructor

Fsm(unsigned n, unsigned init=0, Fsm_action* act=0); A machine with nstates() set to n (the legal states are implicitly numbered 0,1,...,n-1), initial_state() set to init, default_action() set to act, and state() set to init. The transitions of the machine are defined as follows: For every legal state number S and legal input I, action(S,I) is set toact and target(S,I) is set to 0. Preconditions: init must be a legal state number.

~Fsm(); Destructor.

Copy and assign

Fsm(const Fsm& f);

Fsm& operator=(const Fsm& f); Copying or assigning an Fsm creates a copy of its value.

Specify transitions

void trans( unsigned s1, unsigned inp, unsigned s2, Fsm_action* act=0 ); Redefines a single transition as follows: action(s1,inp) is set to act and target(s1,inp) is set to s2. Preconditions: s1 and s2 must be legal state numbers; inp must be a legal input; if act is a new action, then fewer than 256 unique action routines have already been specified.

void trans( unsigned s1, unsigned lo, unsigned hi, unsigned s2, Fsm_action* act=0 ); Redefines hi-lo+1 transitions as follows: for every integer I between lo and hi, inclusive, action(s1,I) is set to act and target(s1,I) is set to s2. Preconditions: s1 and s2 must be legal state numbers; lo and hi must be legal inputs; if act is a new action, then fewer than 256 unique action routines have already been specified.

void trans( unsigned s1, const char* reg, unsigned s2, Fsm_action* act=0 ); For every integer I for which the corresponding printable ASCII character matches the one-character regular expression reg, redefine one transition as follows: action(s1,I) is set to act and target(s1,I) is set to s2. Has no effect if reg is zero or if no printable characters match the expression. Preconditions: s1 and s2 must be legal state numbers: if act is a new action, then fewer than 256 unique action routines have already been specified.

Examine the machine

unsigned nstates()const; The number of states.

unsigned nactions()const; The number of unique action routines that have been passed to the machine (equivalently, one greater than the current highest-assigned action number).

unsigned state()const; The current machine state.

unsigned initial_state()const; The initial state.

Fsm_action* action(unsigned state,unsigned inp)const; Returns a pointer to the action routine associated with the transition from state state on input inp. Preconditions: state must be a legal state number; inp must be a legal input.

unsigned action_number(unsigned state,unsigned inp)const; Returns the action number of the action routine associated with the transition from state state on input inp. Action numbers are assigned as follows: the default action defined by the constructor is assigned action number 0; each unique action routine subsequently encountered by the machine is assigned an action number one greater than the previously highest-assigned action number. Preconditions: state must be a legal state number; inp must be a legal input.

unsigned target(unsigned state,unsigned inp)const; Returns the target state associated with the transition from state state on input inp. Preconditions: state must be a legal state number; inp must be a legal input.

Change the state of the machine

int fire(unsigned inp); Effects the transition associated with input inp in the current state. That is, calls action(state(),inp) and then goes to state target(state(),inp). If the action routine should invoke either fire(), reset(), go(), or abort(), the machine will not make a state change upon return from the action routine. The return value is the return value of the action routine, or zero if the null action was specified for this transition. Preconditions: inp must be a legal input.

void go(unsigned state); Forces the machine into state state. Preconditions: state must be a legal state number.

void reset(); Forces the machine into state initial_state().

void abort(); Equivalent to go(state()). This function only has an effect when called from within an action routine, in which case it cancels any pending state change.

Trace state changes

trace(Fsm_tracer* tracer); A zero argument turns tracing off if it is currently on, and has no effect otherwise. A non-zero argument turns tracing on if it is currently off, and defines a new tracing routine if tracing is currently turned on. When tracing is turned on, tracer() will be called each time the machine state changes, upon arrival in the new state.

Stream insertion

friend ostream& operator<<(ostream& os,const Fsm& f);" Inserts an ASCII representation of f into ostream os. The representation is a table with one row for each input value and one column for each state. The intersection of each row and column is a transition displayed as (A,T), where T is the target state associated with the transition and A is the action number of the action routine associated with the transition. The table is compressed in the sense that any rows with all entries equal to (0,0) are omitted. May be replaced by a programmer-defined stream insertion operator as long as the user's object file is seen by the linker prior to the library's version.

Complexity

Constructors, destructors, and assignment, run in O(N) (where N is the number of states), plus the time for calls to new and delete. Assuming user-defined action and trace routines to run in O(1), all other operations are O(1). An Fsm occupies 256*(2N+4) bytes of storage.

References

ed(1), iostream(3C++)
© 2004 The SCO Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
UnixWare 7 Release 7.1.4 - 25 April 2004