Functional Automata - Formal Languages for Computer Science Students

Schappel

Mahashabde

2020

Self Cite

This article presents a visualization tool for designing and debugging deterministic finite-state machines in FSM-a domain specific language for the automata theory classroom. Like other automata visualization tools, users can edit machines and observe their execution, given some input. Unlike other automata visualization tools, the user is not burdened nor distracted with rendering a machine as a graph. Furthermore, emphasis is placed on the design of machines and this article presents a novel design recipe for deterministic finite-state machines. In support of the design process, the visualization tool allows for each state to be associated with an invariant predicate. During machine execution, the visualization tool indicates if the proposed invariant holds or does not hold after each transition. In this manner, students can validate and debug their machines before attempting to prove partial correctness or submitting for grading. In addition, any machine edited with the visualization tool can be rendered as executable code. The interface of the visualization tool along with extended examples of its use are presented.

Section: Fsm Interfacementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given that it is reasonable for Computer Science students to be able to experiment with their designs, a domain-specific language (DSL), FSM (Functional State Machines), was developed [19]. This DSL (embedded in Racket) allows students to implement finite-state machines.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual Designing and Debugging of Deterministic Finite-State Machines in FSM

Schappel

Mahashabde

2020

Self Cite

“…In this section, we restrict ourselves to a couple of examples to give the reader a flavor of how FSM primitive constructors are used. For a full description of FSM, the reader is referred to a previously published article [8].…”

Section: Overview Of Fsmmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given that it is reasonable for Computer Science students to be able to experiment with their designs, the FSM (Functional State Machines) library was developed [8]. This library (implemented in Racket) allows students to implement state-machines (e.g., finite-state automata, pushdown automata, and Turing machines) and grammars (e.g., regular, context-free, and context-sensitive).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

FSM Error Messages

Rosiers

2019

Self Cite

Computer Science students, in general, find Automata Theory difficult and mostly unrelated to their area of study. To mitigate these perceptions, FSM, a library to program state machines and grammars, was developed to bring programming to the Automata Theory classroom. The results of the library's maiden voyage at Seton Hall University had a positive impact on students, but the students found the library difficult to use due to the error messages generated. These messages were generated by the host language meaning that students needed to be familiar with the library's implementation to make sense of them. This article presents the design of and results obtained from using an error-messaging system tailor-made for FSM. The effectiveness of the library was measured by both a control group study and a survey. The results strongly suggest that the error-messaging system has had a positive impact on students' attitude towards automata theory, towards programming in FSM, and towards FSM error messages. The consequence has been a marked improvement on students' ability to implement algorithms developed as part of constructive proofs by making the debugging of FSM programs easier.

“…This article outlines a programming-based approach to teaching students about regular expressions in their first automata theory course using FSM (F inite S tate M achines). FSM is a domain-specific language in which regular expressions, state machines, and grammars are types [10]. Students are exposed to all the theory addressed by a traditional non-programming-based automata theory course, but are engaged by programming regular expressions and by designing/implementing programs based on regular expressions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regular Expressions in a CS Formal Languages Course

2023

Self Cite

Regular expressions in an Automata Theory and Formal Languages course are mostly treated as a theoretical topic. That is, to some degree their mathematical properties and their role to describe languages is discussed. This approach fails to capture the interest of most Computer Science students. It is a missed opportunity to engage Computer Science students that are far more motivated by practical applications of theory. To this end, regular expressions may be discussed as the description of an algorithm to generate words in a language that is easily programmed. This article describes a programming-based methodology to introduce students to regular expressions in an Automata Theory and Formal Languages course. The language of instruction is FSM in which there is a regular expression type. Thus, facilitating the study of regular expressions and of algorithms based on regular expressions.