Designing state-based systems with entity-life modeling

This article introduces the entity-life modeling (ELM) design approach for multithread software. The article focuses on problems that can be described by state machines with associated activities. We compare ELM with a traditional design approach based on a dataflow model. Using a cruise controller for a car as an example, we show that entity-life modeling is a more direct and less ceremonious approach that produces a much simpler architecture.