How to Use the MST Applet

Notations

Source is in black.

Intermediate nodes are in gray.

Initial edges are in gray.

The number associated with the corresponding edge is edge's weight

The edges in shortest path are in red.

The selected vertices are in black.

The eligible selected vertices flash in yellow color .

The graph can not be changed when it is running or in running status.

How to Run the Applet

The Applet consists of 6 steps , which can be run either in demo or custom mode. In each mode you can choose to run any of the 3 algorithms: Kruskal, Prim or Cheriton-Tarjan. The applet can be started at step 1 in each execution, and you can go back and forward between the steps if the step(e.g. buttons, menues) are activated. Below is a list of functions:

Step1 :

Demo: choose this in step1 to run from a demo graph.

Custom: choose this in step1 to build a graph.

Step2:

If custom mode is chosen, construct your own graph using these buttons:

To create a vertex, press mouse on the desired location.

To create an edge, click on the two vertices desired to be connected, enter edge weight in the bottom-left text box and press OK button. Edge weight can only be nonnegative integer. Default edge weight is 0.

To modify a vertex position, drag the vertex with mouse to the desired position.

To modify an edge weight, double click on the arrow of the desired edge, enter edge weight in the bottom-left text box and press OK button.

To delete a vertex, double click on the desired vertex and click on the Remove Vertex button. All connected edges to this vertex will also be deleted.

To delete an edge, double click on the arrow of the desired edge and click on the Remove Edge button.

To cancel an operation of edge deletion or edge weight modification, click on the Cancel button.

Step3:

choose the minimum spanning tree algorithm to run.

Step4:

Source: If prim is chosen in custom mode after the graph is constructed choose a source by double clicking on the desired vertex and click on source button

Step5:

Algorithm can be run using any of these buttons:

Step by Step: click on this button to trace every step.
Run till Finish: click on this button to run the algorithm until finish.
Stop: click on this button whenever you want to stop the Run till Finish mode.

Step6:

After the execution of algorithm is finished use these:

Clear: click on this button applet will clear the graph in Custom mode for construction of a new graph.

Reset: click on this button will restore the graph to the graph before running on Custom mode or Demo mode.