<p>I developed a tool to use in the theory of computation course I teach. If you want to take a look, the project is available here: <a href="https://github.com/davidbuzatto/YAAS/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/davidbuzatto/YAAS/</a></p>
<p>There is a version with an installer for Windows. The installer is not signed, so your browser and Windows will complain that the file is &quot;not safe&quot;. For Linux users, just use the .jar file also made available in the releases.</p>
<p>There are some bugs, but in my humble opinion, the GUI is better than JFLAP's. From a functionality point of view, JFLAP is much more complete than my tool.</p>
<p>I haven't developed a tutorial on how to use it, but I have a presentation video on my YouTube channel that you can take a look at. The video was recorded in Brazilian Portuguese, but I believe it can be useful for you to see what can be done.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILxWF1mf8PY" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILxWF1mf8PY</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-12T19:07:04.653Z
Your tool is awesome! That's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
Nicola Gigante
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-12T23:55:13.833Z
@NicolaGigante my pleasure!
davidbuzatto
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-12T02:36:28.367Z
2024-12-13T13:08:04.337Z
2024-12-13T13:08:04.337Z
davidbuzatto
<p>Susan Rodger of Duke University CS, along with her team, has developed a comprehensive set of tools, JFLAP, for this. Visit <a href="https://www.jflap.org" rel="noreferrer">https://www.jflap.org</a> to obtain them (no cost). It was (and maybe still is) a research interest of hers.</p>
<p>You will need to investigate its capabilities, however. There is an associated book that you can find at the above link.</p>
<p>Note: She is a friend of mine, but I'm not related to the project.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-11T16:24:06.593Z
2024-12-11T16:24:06.593Z
Buffy
<p>I'm migrating this question from <a href="https://cs.stackexchange.com/questions/170645">CS.SE</a> as suggested.</p>
<p>I'm looking for some tool, either online or not, to let students play with automata.</p>
<p>What I'm looking for specifically is for a tool that allows one to build an automaton and construct its powerset and then its minimal DFA.</p>
<p>I've found this tool online: <a href="https://cyberzhg.github.io/toolbox/min_dfa" rel="noreferrer">https://cyberzhg.github.io/toolbox/min_dfa</a></p>
<p>It is actually good when you start from a regular expression, but it does not let you play with the automaton and e.g. change some transitions or add/remove states and see how the minimal DFA changes.</p>
<p>Is there any tool like this around?</p>
<p>On CS.SE, a comment suggested <a href="https://flaci.com" rel="noreferrer">flaci.com</a>, which is really nice, but as far as I can tell, it lacks the powerset construction.</p>

<undergraduate>
Didactic tool to play with deterministic and nondeterministic finite automata
# Didactic tool to play with deterministic and nondeterministic finite automata

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-12-11)

I'm migrating this question from [CS.SE](https://cs.stackexchange.com/questions/170645) as suggested.

I'm looking for some tool, either online or not, to let students play with automata.

What I'm looking for specifically is for a tool that allows one to build an automaton and construct its powerset and then its minimal DFA.

I've found this tool online: <https://cyberzhg.github.io/toolbox/min_dfa>

It is actually good when you start from a regular expression, but it does not let you play with the automaton and e.g. change some transitions or add/remove states and see how the minimal DFA changes.

Is there any tool like this around?

On CS.SE, a comment suggested [flaci.com](https://flaci.com), which is really nice, but as far as I can tell, it lacks the powerset construction.

**Tags:** undergraduate


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-12-12. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

I developed a tool to use in the theory of computation course I teach. If you want to take a look, the project is available here: <https://github.com/username_1/YAAS/>

There is a version with an installer for Windows. The installer is not signed, so your browser and Windows will complain that the file is "not safe". For Linux users, just use the .jar file also made available in the releases.

There are some bugs, but in my humble opinion, the GUI is better than JFLAP's. From a functionality point of view, JFLAP is much more complete than my tool.

I haven't developed a tutorial on how to use it, but I have a presentation video on my YouTube channel that you can take a look at. The video was recorded in Brazilian Portuguese, but I believe it can be useful for you to see what can be done.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILxWF1mf8PY>

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Your tool is awesome! That's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!  
> **username_1**: @NicolaGigante my pleasure!  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2024-12-11. Score: 8

Susan Rodger of Duke University CS, along with her team, has developed a comprehensive set of tools, JFLAP, for this. Visit <https://www.jflap.org> to obtain them (no cost). It was (and maybe still is) a research interest of hers.

You will need to investigate its capabilities, however. There is an associated book that you can find at the above link.

Note: She is a friend of mine, but I'm not related to the project.


---

