About CS Vis
A step-by-step visualizer for algorithms and the formal models behind them — automata, grammars, and Turing machines.
What is this?
CS Vis lets you step through algorithms and formal-language simulations at your own pace — forward, backward, and at any speed. Build your own DFA, NFA, CFG, PDA, or Turing machine, then watch each transition, derivation, or tape move play out. For classic algorithms, every visualization shows the decision made at each step, not just the final result. Whether you are a student learning theory of computation for the first time or refreshing for an interview, the goal is to make the logic visible.
Simulators & tools
Conversions
Algorithms covered
Built with
How it works
Each algorithm — and each automaton run, derivation, or tape step — is produced by code that yields a snapshot of its state at every meaningful step. The page collects all snapshots up front, then the playback controller indexes into that array. This means scrubbing backward is free — no undo logic required, and the same playback UI works for sorting, graph traversal, DFA simulation, and CFG → CNF conversion alike.