java-design-patterns/state/README.md

---
layout: pattern
title: State
folder: state
permalink: /patterns/state/
categories: Behavioral
tags:
 - Java
 - Difficulty-Intermediate
 - Gang Of Four
---

## Also known as
Objects for States

## Intent
Allow an object to alter its behavior when its internal state
changes. The object will appear to change its class.

![alt text](./etc/state_1.png "State")

## Applicability
Use the State pattern in either of the following cases

* an object's behavior depends on its state, and it must change its behavior at run-time depending on that state
* operations have large, multipart conditional statements that depend on the object's state. This state is usually represented by one or more enumerated constants. Often, several operations will contain this same conditional structure. The State pattern puts each branch of the conditional in a separate class. This lets you treat the object's state as an object in its own right that can vary independently from other objects.

## Credits

* [Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software](http://www.amazon.com/Design-Patterns-Elements-Reusable-Object-Oriented/dp/0201633612)
Work towards #56: Splitting up the README I did the job and splitted up the readme, hopefully everything was splitted correctly... 2015-08-13 23:54:40 +02:00			`---`
			`layout: pattern`
			`title: State`
			`folder: state`
Work towards #56: Add permalink to every pattern This makes cleaner URLs thanks to jekyll 2015-08-15 18:03:05 +02:00			`permalink: /patterns/state/`
Work on #213 - properly categorize all patterns - remove pattern list from readme - minor fixes to readme - removed "introduction" because its not a pattern and an error i committed some time ago 2015-08-20 21:40:07 +02:00			`categories: Behavioral`
Work on #226, #213, added references of Gang Of Four to all GoF patterns, added tag for Gang Of Four, added difficulty tags to some of them 2015-09-22 18:25:56 +05:30			`tags:`
			`- Java`
			`- Difficulty-Intermediate`
			`- Gang Of Four`
Work towards #56: Splitting up the README I did the job and splitted up the readme, hopefully everything was splitted correctly... 2015-08-13 23:54:40 +02:00			`---`

Use headings instead of bold text in index.md #238 2016-01-03 21:14:30 +01:00			`## Also known as`
			`Objects for States`
Added alias names for GOF patterns #267 2015-11-04 21:13:32 +02:00
Use headings instead of bold text in index.md #238 2016-01-03 21:14:30 +01:00			`## Intent`
			`Allow an object to alter its behavior when its internal state`
Work towards #56: Splitting up the README I did the job and splitted up the readme, hopefully everything was splitted correctly... 2015-08-13 23:54:40 +02:00			`changes. The object will appear to change its class.`

			`![alt text](./etc/state_1.png "State")`

Use headings instead of bold text in index.md #238 2016-01-03 21:14:30 +01:00			`## Applicability`
			`Use the State pattern in either of the following cases`
Work towards #56: Splitting up the README I did the job and splitted up the readme, hopefully everything was splitted correctly... 2015-08-13 23:54:40 +02:00
			`* an object's behavior depends on its state, and it must change its behavior at run-time depending on that state`
Work towards #56: Add permalink to every pattern This makes cleaner URLs thanks to jekyll 2015-08-15 18:03:05 +02:00			`* operations have large, multipart conditional statements that depend on the object's state. This state is usually represented by one or more enumerated constants. Often, several operations will contain this same conditional structure. The State pattern puts each branch of the conditional in a separate class. This lets you treat the object's state as an object in its own right that can vary independently from other objects.`
Work on #226, #213, added references of Gang Of Four to all GoF patterns, added tag for Gang Of Four, added difficulty tags to some of them 2015-09-22 18:25:56 +05:30
Use headings instead of bold text in index.md #238 2016-01-03 21:14:30 +01:00			`## Credits`
Work on #226, #213, added references of Gang Of Four to all GoF patterns, added tag for Gang Of Four, added difficulty tags to some of them 2015-09-22 18:25:56 +05:30
			`* [Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software](http://www.amazon.com/Design-Patterns-Elements-Reusable-Object-Oriented/dp/0201633612)`