Getting Started

Getting Started

Welcome to AutomataLab! This guide will take you from zero to a fully running, simulating formal language environment. AutomataLab is a unified platform featuring three interconnected workspaces: the Machine Workspace, the Grammar Lab, and the Parser Studio.

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1. Installation & Setup

Install the Desktop App (Recommended)

1. Go to the latest release.
2. Under Assets, download the installer for your platform:
   • Windows — .msi or .exe (NSIS) installer.
   • macOS — .dmg (universal/Apple‑Silicon depending on the build).
   • Linux — .AppImage or .deb.
3. Run the installer and launch AutomataLab.

Note: Auto‑updates are supported from v1.0.2 onward. Newer versions download and install over the air automatically.

Security Prompts (macOS / Windows)

The app is signed for updates but may not be notarized/code‑signed for the OS gatekeeper. If your OS warns about an unidentified developer:

• macOS: Allow it via System Settings → Privacy & Security.
• Windows: Click More info → Run anyway on the SmartScreen prompt.

Try it in the Browser

Prefer not to install anything? A web build runs at AutomataLab Web Simulator. The simulation engine is identical to the desktop app; only native file-system integrations differ (in the browser, saving/loading uses standard browser download/upload mechanics).

Build from Source

If you are a developer looking to contribute, you will need Node.js (LTS), npm, and the Rust toolchain.

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/reeshavsinha/AutomataLab.git
cd AutomataLab

# Install JavaScript dependencies
npm install

# Run the desktop app in dev mode (with hot reload)
npm run tauri:dev

# Or run just the web frontend
npm run dev

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2. Navigating AutomataLab

AutomataLab is organized into three major workflows. You can seamlessly switch between them using the primary navigation tabs:

1. Machine Workspace: Draw, edit, and simulate Finite Automata (DFA, NFA, ε-NFA), Pushdown Automata (DPDA, NPDA), and Turing Machines (TM, LBA).
2. Grammar Lab: Define Context-Free Grammars (CFGs), compute FIRST/FOLLOW sets, check for nullability and ambiguity, and perform Chomsky/Greibach Normal Form conversions.
3. Parser Studio: Automatically generate Top-Down and Bottom-Up parsers (LL(1), LR(0), SLR(1), CLR(1), LALR(1), CYK, Earley) from your grammars and visualize parsing steps on input strings.

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3. Your First Simulation (A 60‑Second DFA)

Let's build a machine that accepts strings containing an even number of a's.

1. Select the Machine Workspace: Ensure you are in the default workspace.
2. Set Machine Type: In the toolbar, ensure the dropdown is set to DFA.
3. Add States: Press N (or select the Add state tool) and click on the canvas to drop two states: q0 and q1.
4. Mark Start & Accept: Right-click q0 and select Toggle Start. Right-click q1 and select Toggle Accept.
5. Draw Transitions: Hover over q0 until the connection dot appears, then drag to q1. In the editor that pops up, type a. Draw a transition back from q1 to q0 and type a. Draw a self-loop on q0 for b, and a self-loop on q1 for b.
6. Execute: Type aaba in the input bar at the bottom.
7. Simulate: Press Space to play the animation, or use the S / → keys to step through it manually. The active state will light up, and the status badge will tell you if the string is ultimately Accepted or Rejected.

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What's Next?

Dive deeper into each specific workspace:

• Machine Workspace Guide: Learn about stacks, tapes, and computation trees.
• Grammar Lab Guide: Learn how to write CFGs and analyze them.
• Parser Studio Guide: Discover how to generate Parse Tables and resolve Shift/Reduce conflicts.