As a software developer, I'm exploring statecharts. Explain how they help manage complexity, improve system reliability by handling unexpected scenarios, and simplify the development process, particularly regarding testing. Provide specific examples or concepts from the website to support your explanation.
Navigate to the homepage (statecharts.dev). Explore the 'What is a statechart?' section to understand how statecharts manage complexity. Explore the 'All the states to be explored' section to understand how statecharts improve reliability and handle unexpected scenarios, noting any real-world examples. Explore the 'The behaviour is decoupled' or 'Behaviour can be tested independently' section to understand how statecharts simplify testing. Synthesize information from these sections to explain the benefits of statecharts in managing complexity, improving reliability, and simplifying testing.
Explain that statecharts manage complexity by using hierarchical states (substates) to solve the 'state explosion' problem, acting as 'beefed up state machines'. Describe how statecharts improve reliability by exposing 'in-between' and 'error' states that are often missed, citing the NASA Curiosity Rover example for considering 'off nominal scenarios'. Explain that statecharts simplify testing by decoupling the 'when' (behavior/business logic) from the 'how' (component execution), allowing the behavior to be tested independently through events and actions without needing internal component knowledge.