code: public DevState state() {
  	Util.out4.println("DeviceImpl.state() (attribute) arrived");
  
  	//
  	// Record attribute request in black box
  	//
  
  	blackbox.insert_attr(Attr_State);
  
  	//
  	// Return data to caller. If the dev_state throw an exception, catch it
  	// and do
  	// not re-throw it because we are in a CORBA attribute implementation
  	//
  
  	DevState tmp = null;
  	try {
  	    tmp = dev_state();
  	} catch (final DevFailed ex) {
  	}
  
  	Util.out4.println("Leaving DeviceImpl.state() (attribute)");
  	return tmp;
      }
docs: Get device state.
  
  It's the master method executed when the device state is requested via a
  CORBA attribute. It updates the device black-box and return the device
  state. This method calls the <i>dev_state</i> device method but catch all
  the execption and does not re-throw them because exception can't be
  thrown to a client for CORBA attribute
  
  @return The device state