Strings and states

Using llMessageLinked in the root to communicate with a child prim, how can I take the sting and use it to change states in the child prim with link_message?
example:
the string in the roots llMessageLinked is "on" or "off"
the state in the child is state on or state off

You send a link message with either "on" or "off" to the linkset and in the child prims you have a link_message event in each state where you check if the appropriate command was given and then switch states.

easy as pie
or cake. if it wasn't a lie.

Is this what you are looking for:

default
{
    state_entry()
    {
        state off;
    }
}

state off
{
    state_entry()
    {
        //do stuff
        llOwnerSay("Off");
    }
    link_message(integer sender_number, integer number, string message, key id)
    {
        if("on"==message)
            state on;
    }
}

state on
{
    state_entry()
    {
        //do stuff
        llOwnerSay("On");
    }
    link_message(integer sender_number, integer number, string message, key id)
    {
        if("off"==message)
            state off;
    }
}

Cool, thanks. Seemed to escape me that it still is just a way to communicate and I was way over thinking it.