A design state defines a particular combination of object state settings for a given design. Each design state represents one or more specific paths between the inputs and outputs of the design (see example below). Design states can be created manually or generated automatically using the Auto-Create operation. Once created, design states can be used in local test definitions and/or inherited hierarchically into a higher-level design (where they will appear as object states on any assemblies linked to the current design). When utilized inpath-based testdefinitions, hierarchical design states can provide upper-level control over test coverageat any level(s) of a hierarchical design. Furthermore, when design states and test definitions are automatically generated (so that there is a test for each possible path through the design), the eXpress diagnostics can then be used to determine a minimized set of states that are necessary to assess the health of the entire design. For a discussion of the different uses of design states, see the topic "Advantages of Using Design States".
Warning: Although they provide the Analyst with a powerful mechanism for hierarchical test definition and large-scale problem-solving, the use of design states should be approached with extreme caution. Whereas the careful use of design states can save the Analyst a significant amount of time when solving certain problems, the indiscriminate use of design states can result in a loss of modeling and analysis efficiency (for a detailed discussion of this, refer to the topics "The Dangers of Using Design States" and "Good Design State Practices").
