I wanted to build something that didn’t just solve a math expression, but actually showed you what was happening at every stage — how the expression gets broken apart, and in what order the operations get resolved. The result is MathViz, a web-based expression evaluator that parses and solves math step by step. You can also run al local copy by downloading the project code below.

You type in an expression like (2+17(4-3))/13^3, hit Calculate, and the tool first displays each parsed token (numbers, operators, parentheses) as labeled chips so you can see exactly how the input was read. From there, it walks through the solution one operation at a time, each step labeled with what it’s doing (evaluating subtraction, resolving parentheses, handling exponents, and so on) until it arrives at the final answer.

The interface leans into a retro terminal aesthetic with a dark background, monospace fonts, glowing green readout for the final result. It also keeps a running history of your last 10 expressions, and has copy and share buttons built in for easy sharing of results.

It’s a fun one if you’ve ever wanted to double-check your order of operations or just watch the math unfold. Give it a try at https://mathviz.johnsonfarms.us, or download it and simply open the index.html file in any browser.