Visual and Interactive Tools
Duke University
This research focuses on designing tools for visualizing and
interacting with theoretical computer science concepts.
Tools include:
|
JFLAP 7.1 - A new version of JFLAP
is now available (2018). JFLAP is a tool to experiment with formal
languages, grammars and parsing, including finite state machines, pushdown
automata, Turing machines, LL and LR parsing, but also with proofs such as
converting an NFA to a DFA to a min-state DFA to a regular expression or
regular grammar. See the JFLAP website for more information.
To get on the JFLAP mailing list for notices, send email to
|
|
Animata 1.0 - A tool for creating algorithm animations on the web.
- software available now to try out. December 2019
This tool is ready for testing.
|
|
JSAWAA 1.0 - A tool for creating algorithm animations on the web.
- software available now to try out. April 2019
This tool is ready for testing.
|
|
JAWAA 2.0 - A tool for creating algorithm animations on the web.
- software available now to try out. August 2002
This tool is ready for testing.
|
|
Pâté - A tool for parsing restricted and unrestricted grammars
and
transforming context-free grammers to CNF.
- New version of pate is now available (March 2000)
|
|
JAWAA - A tool for creating algorithm animations on the web.
- This is the OLD version of JAWAA which will no longer be supported.
|
|
JFLAP 3.1 - (Here for example is an old version of JFLAP). The Java version of FLAP,
is now available (Aug. 1999).
New features in 3.1 include regular expressions, including
conversions of regular expressions to NFA, and DFA to regular expressions.
New features from 3.0 include
several conversions from one representation to another. The conversions are
nondeterministic finite automaton (NFA) to deterministic finite automaton
(DFA), DFA to minimum state DFA, NFA to regular grammar, regular grammar to
NFA, nondeterministic pushdown automaton (NPDA) to context-free grammar
(CFG), and three algorithms for CFG to NPDA. Two of the CFG to NPDA
conversions are useful in studying LL and LR parsing. In addition, you
can now slide the labels along the arcs and stretch the loops (grab the
dot on top) for more
room.
|
|
jeLLRap - the Java version/combination of LLparse and LRparse
is now available (Jan. 26, 1998). LLparse and LRparse have been
combined into one tool. Additional features show the parse tree or
a derivation when parsing.
|
|
PumpLemma - A tool for experimenting with the Pumping Lemma for regular
languages and context-free languages
- This is a very old tool from about 1997, and is no longer supported.
|
|
FLAP - X Windows version (OLD, try the newer Java Version of FLAP
above! It is much easier to install and this is no longer supported.)
|
|
LLparse - This version is no longer supported. See the JAVA version
called jeLLRap above.
|
|
LRparse -
This version is no longer supported. See the JAVA version
called jeLLRap above.
|
Obtaining these tools
JFLAP and many of the tools are available on the individual web sites
above. Click on the tool and it will take you to the web site with more
information.
For some of the OLDER tools and OLDER versions of tools there is an OLD
ftp site with OLD source code
via anonymous
ftp here .
Xtango and Samba are available from Georgia Tech
here .
Using these tools in Automata Theory Course
We have used FLAP, LLparse and LRparse in CPS 140, Mathematical Foundations
of Computer Science, at Duke University. The lecture, lab, and assignments
for this course are
here
for 1998 and
here
for 1999 .
here
for 2002 .
here
for 2003 .
For more information
Current work includes tools for experimenting with grammars,
parsing, the conversion of an automaton into an equivalent
form, and the animation of algorithms and data structures.
For more information, contact
Susan Rodger at Duke Univerity
All these tools have been supported by the Lilly Foundation, Rensselaer,
and the National Science Foundation
DUE-9354791 (transfered to
DUE-9596002).
Additional funding from NSF to continue this work was
under grant
DUE-9555084 And now more funding from NSF to continue this work
is under grant
DUE-9752583.
Any opinions, finding and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the
views of the National Science Foundation.
Here are references
to my recent papers.
According to Web-Counter
you are visitor number
since July 26, 1996
Back to Susan Rodger's home page