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Document UI component states (current vs expected) with transitions

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Source SKILL.md: https://github.com/WellApp-ai/Well/blob/HEAD/cursor-rules/skills/state-machine/SKILL.md

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State Machine Skill

Document the state machine for UI components, comparing current behavior to expected behavior and mapping all state transitions.

When to Use

  • During Ask mode CONVERGE loop for stateful components
  • When refactoring existing components with complex state
  • Before implementing new interactive UI components

Instructions

Phase 1: Identify States

List all possible states for the component:

StateCurrent BehaviorExpected Behavior
Initial[What happens now][What should happen]
Loading[Current loading UX][Expected loading UX]
Success[Current success display][Expected success display]
Error[Current error handling][Expected error handling]
Empty[Current empty state][Expected empty state]

Common States to Consider:

State TypeExamples
Data statesInitial, Loading, Success, Error, Empty, Stale
Interaction statesIdle, Hover, Focus, Active, Disabled
Visibility statesHidden, Visible, Collapsed, Expanded
Selection statesUnselected, Selected, Partially selected
Validation statesValid, Invalid, Pending validation

Phase 2: Map Transitions

Define what triggers each state change:

FromToTriggerSide Effects
InitialLoadingUser action / MountStart fetch
LoadingSuccessData receivedPopulate UI
LoadingErrorRequest failedShow error message
LoadingEmptyEmpty responseShow empty state
ErrorLoadingRetry clickedRestart fetch
SuccessLoadingRefresh clickedRefetch data

Phase 3: State Diagram

Create a Mermaid state diagram:

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Initial
    Initial --> Loading : fetch
    Loading --> Success : data received
    Loading --> Error : request failed
    Loading --> Empty : no data
    Error --> Loading : retry
    Success --> Loading : refresh
    Empty --> Loading : refresh
    Success --> [*] : unmount

Phase 4: Data Requirements

For each state, define what data is needed:

StateRequired DataUI Elements
InitialNonePlaceholder or skeleton
LoadingNoneSpinner, skeleton, progress
Success[List required fields]Full component
ErrorError message, retry actionError banner, retry button
EmptyEmpty message, CTAEmpty illustration, CTA button

Phase 5: Edge Cases

Identify edge cases and how to handle:

Edge CaseCurrentExpected
Network timeout[Current]Show timeout message, retry option
Partial data[Current]Graceful degradation, show available
Stale data[Current]Show stale indicator, background refresh
Concurrent updates[Current]Optimistic update, rollback on conflict
Auth expired[Current]Redirect to login, preserve state

Output Format

## State Machine: [Component Name]

### State Table

| State | Current | Expected | Data Required |
|-------|---------|----------|---------------|
| Initial | [Behavior] | [Behavior] | [Data] |
| Loading | [Behavior] | [Behavior] | [Data] |
| Success | [Behavior] | [Behavior] | [Data] |
| Error | [Behavior] | [Behavior] | [Data] |
| Empty | [Behavior] | [Behavior] | [Data] |

### Transition Diagram

[Mermaid stateDiagram]

### Edge Cases

| Case | Handling |
|------|----------|
| [Case] | [How to handle] |

### Summary
- States: [N] identified
- Transitions: [N] mapped
- Edge cases: [N] documented

Invocation

Invoke manually with "use state-machine skill" or follow Ask mode CONVERGE loop which references this skill.

Related Skills

  • qa-planning - Uses states to define test coverage
  • design-context - Check existing component states in Storybook