---
metadata:
- name: generator
content: Diplodoc Platform v5.50.6
alternate:
- https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/java/state-accessor.md
- https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/ru/flow/java/state-accessor.md
---
> **Documentation Index:** Fetch the complete configuration index at https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/llms.txt
# StateAccessor in YTsaurus Flow (Java)
StateAccessor is an interface for reading, modifying, and deleting state values. For general information about stateful processing, see the [Stateful processing](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/concepts/stateful.md) section.
## How it works {#how-it-works}
The [state](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/concepts/glossary.md#state) in Flow is stored in [sorted dynamic tables](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/user-guide/dynamic-tables/sorted-dynamic-tables.md).
If you use [external state](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/java/external-state.md), you create this table. If you use [internal state](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/java/internal-state.md), Flow creates and manages these tables automatically.
For simplicity, the following description focuses on an example with external state.
You can think of each row in the state table as having two parts: key columns and value columns:
For `TTransformCompanionComputation`, the key columns in the state table match the `group_by_schema` of the [computation](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/concepts/glossary.md#stream-and-computation). For the internal state of `TTransformOrderedSourceCompanionComputation`, the source partition key is used instead; this SourceComputation does not support `group_by_schema`.
The value columns are available for reading and modifying through `StateAccessor`. The format in which you can read and modify these values in Java code depends on the `StateAccessor` implementation.
## Reading and writing data {#reading-and-writing-data}
The [worker](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/concepts/glossary.md#worker) handles direct operations on the table, including reading, writing, and deleting data. When the worker receives the next batch of [messages](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/concepts/glossary.md#message), it loads the state values for all [keys](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/concepts/glossary.md#key) in the batch and sends them to the [companion](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/concepts/companion.md) along with the messages and [timers](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/concepts/glossary.md#timer). For more details, see the [interaction schema](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/concepts/companion.md#schema).
You write new values to the state table as a transaction within an [epoch](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/concepts/glossary.md#epoch).
## StateAccessor interface {#state-accessor-interface}
{% list tabs group=lang %}
- Java
```java
public interface StateAccessor {
/** Get the state value. */
@Nullable
T get();
/** Get the state value or a default value. */
default T getOrDefault(T defaultValue);
/** Set the state value. */
void set(T value);
/** Clear or delete the state for the key. */
void clear();
/** Get the state class. */
Class getStateClass();
/** Get a read-only view of the accessor. */
default StateAccessor readOnly();
}
```
- Kotlin
```kotlin
interface StateAccessor {
/** Get the state value. */
fun get(): T?
/** Get the state value or a default value. */
fun getOrDefault(defaultValue: T): T
/** Set the state value. */
fun set(value: T)
/** Clear or delete the state for the key. */
fun clear()
/** Get the state class. */
fun getStateClass(): Class
/** Get a read-only view of the accessor. */
fun readOnly(): StateAccessor
}
```
{% endlist %}
The value of an internal state returned by `get()` and `getOrDefault()` is live: the changes made to it are written without a `set()` call, and `readOnly()` returns an untracked view — see [Changing the value in place](https://ytsaurus.tech/docs/en/flow/java/internal-state.md#in-place). A default returned by `getOrDefault()` is not written to YTsaurus: it becomes the state value only if the computation changes it.