L-FLAT: Logtalk Toolkit for Formal Languages and Automata Theory

We describe L-FLAT, a Logtalk Toolkit for teaching Formal Languages and Automata Theory. L-FLAT supports the definition of alphabets, the definition of orders over alphabet symbols, the partial definition of languages using unit tests, and the definition of mechanisms, which implement language generators or language recognizers. Supported mechanisms include predicates, regular expressions, finite automata, context-free grammars, Turing machines, and push-down automata. L-FLAT entities are implemented using the object-oriented features of Logtalk, providing a highly portable and easily extendable framework. The use of L-FLAT in educational environments is enhanced by supporting Mooshak, a web application that features automatic grading of submitted programs.