Namespace Functionality

What are Namespaces in VisualStates?

VisualStates provides Global and Local Namespaces.

• Global Namespace consists all the functions, variables and the ROS nodes with publishers and subscribers which are required globally through the complex automata.
• Local Namespace consists functions and variables required by a particular state or transition or a group of states or transitions. Every level of automata consists of a Local Namespace where its local variables and functions can be defined.

Why Namespaces?

• While developing complex behaviors, the states and transitions can have their own auxiliary data accessible by them only.
• Seperate Namespaces avoids the auxiliary data name conflicts. While developing automata, user may provide functions and variabes names which may conflict with other automata's auxiliary data.
• While importing, existing auxiliary data might conflict with the importing automata i.e. the method and variables might collide, seperating them into Local Namespaces avoid the issue upto a great extent.

How to use Namespaces in VisualStates while developing a complex behavior?

1. Data -> Global Namespace:

• Write all the global methods and variables which are required to be used throughout the behavior in all levels of automata.
• The Global Namespace would also contains all the ROS Publishers and Subscribers.
• Members can be accessed using self.globalNamespace.[method or variable name] anywhere in the whole automata.

2. Data -> Local Namespace:

• On the exisiting level of automata, all the states and transitions can access these methods and variables.
• Write all the local methods and variables which are required to be used on the current level of automata in states and transitions.
• On the same level, the local members can be accessed using self.localNamespace.[method or variable]
• to navigate through different local namespaces, navigate through different levels of automata using the TreeView provided in the VisualStates.