I've been working on a project called webMARS, a browser-based version of the MARS MIPS simulator used in many computer architecture courses.
The original MARS tool is a Java desktop application. My goal was to bring a similar experience to the browser so students can write, assemble and run MIPS programs without installing anything.
You can try it here: https://webmars.nfiles.top/
Repository: https://github.com/codigoavulso/webMARS
The interface tries to stay close to the original MARS layout (editor, registers, console, tools), but the implementation is web-based and still evolving.
I'm mainly looking for feedback from people who:
- teach computer architecture - have used MARS/SPIM before - work with assembly or CPU simulators
Questions I'm particularly interested in:
- What features from MARS would you consider essential? - Are there other tools you'd expect in a teaching-oriented MIPS IDE? - Does the UI feel usable compared to the original desktop version? - What would make this genuinely useful in a classroom setting?
Any feedback, testing, bug reports or suggestions are very welcome.
nels.ferreira@sapo.pt