COMPARE
Decision tables and state machines
Conditions determine an outcome; states and events determine how a system evolves.
| Question | DMN & decision tables | Statecharts & SCXML |
|---|---|---|
| Question | What result follows from these inputs? | What transition follows this event in the current state? |
| Useful example | Workshop eligibility from email and available places | A registration moves from waitlisted to offered to confirmed |
| Useful combination | A table decides whether an offer is allowed | The state machine controls the lifecycle after the decision |
Try the distinction
You know who is eligible, but not whether an expired offer can be accepted. What is missing?
Open the reasoning
The lifecycle model needs an expired state or equivalent transition rule. Eligibility alone does not say which events remain valid over time.
Go deeper
DMN & decision tables
Represent how input conditions produce an explicit decision outcome.
Statecharts & SCXML
Describe which events can change a system’s state, including states where an action is no longer valid.