Jastex - Turing Machine Enabled v1.1
by B.J. Dweck
January 21, 2004


*** Introduction

Jastex - Turing Machine Enabled is the combination of two programs:
 1. JasTeX v1.1: A graphical user interface for GasTeX written by Michel Duong, Gregory Kokanosky & Yannick Ozouf
 2. A Turing Machine applet written by Suzanne Skinner

Jastex - Turing Machine Enabled was written to give the user the ability to draw a turing machine and simulate it.



*** System Requirements

- Java Virtual Machine:
	This program was developed and tested on J2SE 1.4.2
	It may run on earlier versions of Java but JasTeX requires ** at least Java 1.3 **
	The latest version of the Java platform can be downloaded from http://java.sun.com



*** Installation / Execution

This zip files contains the following files:

  TuringMachine.jar : Jastex - Turing Machine Enabled Java archive file
  readme.txt        : This readme file

Extract the files.
Goto the directory containing Jastex.jar and type:
	java -jar TuringMachine.jar



*** Using Jastex - Turing Machine Enabled

- Information on using JasTeX can be found on the JasTeX web site (see below).
- Information on using Suzanne Skinner's Turing MAchine applet can be found on her web site at:
	http://www.igs.net/~tril/tm/program.html


- Custruct a turing machine by drawing it in the Drawing tab and/or coding it in GasTeX (a Latex package) in the Latex Code tab.
- Turing Machines may also be loaded from files containing GasTeX code.

- Select the Turing Machine Applet tab to have the turing machine code generated and entered into the turing machine applet.
    * Enter initial characters on the tape and click Install Program

- Select the Turing Machine Description tab to view the formal description of the turing machine (as a 7-tuple).

- To save your turing machine, click on the Save icon and supply a file name.  The program will output the latex code to a file by the supplied name and the turing machine description and code to a file of the supplied name with a '.tm' extension.



*** IMPORTANT Notes on Turing Machine Construction

STATES

  * Turing Machines MUST contain one and only one start state - indicated in latex using an Initial Mark.
  * Turing Machines MUST contain one and only one accept state - indicated in latex using a Round Mark.
  * Turing Machines may contain one and only one reject state - indicated in latex using a Final Mark.

  * Turing Machine states may be labeled or left blank.
  * State labels are ignored in construction of the turing machine code.
  * State labels are used in construction of the formal description of the turing machine.

TRANSITIONS

  * All transitions must consist of GasTeX edges (either a Streight Line, one of the four types of curves, or a Loop).
  * All transition edges MUST be labeled.
  * All transition edge labels must conform to the following syntax: 'read-char[[,read-char]+]->[write-char,](L|R)'
      In other words, they must conform to the following regex: 'char(,char)*->(char,)?(L|R)'
      If the write-char is omitted, it is assumed to be the corresponding read-char.
      Spaces are ignored.  A space on the Turing Machine tape is represented by a '_'.
      NOTE: The 'L' and the 'R' MUST be UPPERCASE!
      Examples of valid edge labels:   'a->R', 'a,b->L', 'a->b,L', 'a,b,c->$,R'
      Examples of invalid edge labels: 'a->r', 'a,b->l', 'a,b,->R', 'a b->L'
  * A transition edge may contain more than one label separated by a ';'.
      For Example: 'a->R ; b->L' is a valid edge label



*** JasTeX Info

- Web Site: http://www.liafa.jussieu.fr/~gastin/JasTeX/JasTeX.html



*** Suzanne Skinner's Turing Machine Applet Info

- Web Site: http://www.igs.net/~tril/tm



*** Contact Info

B.J. Dweck
bjd2102@columbia.edu


Have Fun!