Question 1

How do I integrate finite_machine with Rails ActiveRecord?

Accepted Answer

Define a state machine in your model and use callbacks to persist state changes, such as `on_enter` to set the state attribute and `restore!` to load from the database, as detailed in section 7.2. This requires manual setup but offers flexibility.

Question 2

Does finite_machine support asynchronous callbacks?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can run callbacks asynchronously by passing `:async` as a second argument, like `on_enter(:green, :async)`, which executes the callback in a separate thread, as described in section 4.10. This is useful for non-blocking operations.

Question 3

What are choice pseudostates in finite_machine?

Accepted Answer

Choice pseudostates enable conditional branching in transitions, allowing dynamic state selection based on conditions using the `choice` method within event definitions. This is covered in section 3.9 with examples for implementing complex logic.

Question 4

How does finite_machine compare to the aasm gem?

Accepted Answer

FiniteMachine offers a more minimal and DSL-focused approach with a cleaner syntax for callbacks and conditional transitions, but it lacks some built-in ActiveRecord integrations that aasm provides out of the box. FiniteMachine is better for custom, lightweight state management.

Question 5

Can I use finite_machine with plain Ruby objects?

Accepted Answer

Yes, finite_machine is designed to work with plain Ruby objects by passing the object as a target and using callbacks to interact with it, as illustrated in sections 2.9 and 7.1. This makes it versatile for non-Rails applications.

Question 6

How to handle errors in finite_machine?

Accepted Answer

Errors can be handled using the `handle` method with exception classes and callbacks, allowing custom error logging or recovery, as detailed in section 5. You can specify handlers for errors like `InvalidStateError` to manage failures gracefully.

FiniteMachine

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