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+<h1 align="center"> CSE Machine </h1>
+
+<p align="center">A language-agnostic protocol for the Source Academy CSE (Control–Stash–Environment) machine visualizer</p>
+
+<p align="center">
+  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/@sourceacademy/common-cse-machine"><img src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/@sourceacademy/common-cse-machine?color=1a2530&label=npm"></a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/common/cse-machine"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/github-repo-blue?logo=github"></a>
+</p>
+
+## Features
+- Language-agnostic snapshot protocol — any evaluator (js-slang, py-slang, …) can feed the same CSE machine visualization
+- Structured-clone-safe types: everything that crosses the channel is plain JSON, so it survives `MessageChannel` / web-worker boundaries
+
+## Installation
+```bash
+yarn add @sourceacademy/common-cse-machine
+# OR
+npm i @sourceacademy/common-cse-machine
+# OR
+pnpm add @sourceacademy/common-cse-machine
+```
+
+## Structure
+This package ([`@sourceacademy/common-cse-machine`](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/common/cse-machine)) contains the shared constants and types required by both the runner-side and web-side plugin implementations.
+
+These include:
+- The IDs and channel name the two plugins use to find each other (`RUNNER_ID`, `WEB_ID`, `CSE_CHANNEL`, `CSE_DIRECTORY_ID`)
+- The snapshot types that represent a complete evaluation step (`CseSnapshot`, `CseSnapshotMessage`)
+- The serialized sub-types for each part of the machine (`CseSerializedInstruction`, `CseSerializedValue`, `CseSerializedEnvFrame`, `CseSerializedBinding`)
+
+## Usage
+Import types from `@sourceacademy/common-cse-machine` when implementing a language-specific serializer:
+
+```ts
+import type {
+  CseSnapshot,
+  CseSerializedValue,
+  CseSerializedInstruction,
+  CseSerializedEnvFrame,
+} from '@sourceacademy/common-cse-machine';
+
+function buildSnapshot(stepIndex: number): CseSnapshot {
+  return {
+    stepIndex,
+    control: [ { displayText: "call f" } ],
+    stash:   [ { displayValue: "42", label: "number" } ],
+    environments: [ { id: "e0", name: "global", parentId: null, bindings: [], isActive: true } ],
+    currentLine: 3,
+  };
+}
+```
+
+## Protocol Types
+
+### Constants
+| Name | Value | Description |
+|------|-------|-------------|
+| `CSE_CHANNEL` | `"__cse"` | The channel the runner and host plugins communicate over |
+| `RUNNER_ID` | `"__runner_cse"` | ID of the runner-side plugin |
+| `WEB_ID` | `"__web_cse"` | ID of the web/host-side plugin |
+| `CSE_DIRECTORY_ID` | `"cse-machine"` | Plugin directory lookup key |
+| `CSE_MESSAGE_TYPE_SNAPSHOTS` | `"snapshots"` | Discriminator for `CseSnapshotMessage` |
+
+### `CseSnapshot`
+A complete snapshot of the CSE machine at a single evaluation step. Arrays are ordered top-first (i.e. top of control/stash is index 0).
+
+| Field | Type | Description |
+|-------|------|-------------|
+| `stepIndex` | `number` | 0-based index of this step within the run |
+| `control` | `CseSerializedInstruction[]` | Control items, top first |
+| `stash` | `CseSerializedValue[]` | Stash values, top first |
+| `environments` | `CseSerializedEnvFrame[]` | All live environment frames at this step |
+| `currentLine` | `number \| undefined` | 1-based source line of the most recently evaluated node |
+
+### `CseSerializedValue`
+A single value on the stash or bound in an environment frame.
+
+| Field | Type | Description |
+|-------|------|-------------|
+| `displayValue` | `string` | Pre-rendered string shown in the visualizer |
+| `label` | `string` | Coarse type tag, e.g. `"number"`, `"closure"`, `"list"` |
+| `tag` | `string \| undefined` | Optional fine-grained tag for the visualizer |
+| `metadata` | `unknown \| undefined` | Language-specific extras (e.g. closure frame id, array element refs) |
+
+### `CseSerializedInstruction`
+A single item on the control stack.
+
+| Field | Type | Description |
+|-------|------|-------------|
+| `displayText` | `string` | Pre-rendered text shown on the control stack |
+| `tag` | `string \| undefined` | Optional fine-grained tag for the visualizer |
+| `metadata` | `unknown \| undefined` | Typed info used for animation dispatch (e.g. `instrType`, `numOfArgs`, `startLine`) |
+
+### `CseSerializedEnvFrame`
+A single environment frame.
+
+| Field | Type | Description |
+|-------|------|-------------|
+| `id` | `string` | Stable unique id within a run |
+| `name` | `string` | Display name (e.g. `"global"`, function name) |
+| `parentId` | `string \| null` | Lexical parent frame id, or `null` for the root |
+| `closureFrameId` | `string \| undefined` | For a closure's frame: the id of the frame it was defined in |
+| `bindings` | `CseSerializedBinding[]` | Name → value bindings in this frame |
+| `heapObjects` | `CseSerializedValue[] \| undefined` | Anonymous heap objects (closures/arrays) not bound to any name |
+| `isActive` | `boolean` | Whether this is the currently-active (innermost) frame |
+| `isOnCallStack` | `boolean \| undefined` | Whether this frame is currently on the call stack |
+
+### `CseSerializedBinding`
+A single name → value binding within a frame.
+
+| Field | Type | Description |
+|-------|------|-------------|
+| `name` | `string` | The bound name |
+| `value` | `CseSerializedValue` | The bound value |
+| `isConst` | `boolean \| undefined` | Whether the binding is a constant (e.g. `const` in Source) |
+
+## Further reading
+- To send snapshots from an evaluator, use [`@sourceacademy/runner-cse-machine`](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/runner/cse-machine)
+- To receive snapshots in a host app, use [`@sourceacademy/web-cse-machine`](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/web/cse-machine)
+- The [plugins wiki](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/wiki) covers how Conductor plugins communicate
diff --git a/src/runner/cse-machine/README.md b/src/runner/cse-machine/README.md
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+<h1 align="center"> CSE Machine </h1>
+
+<p align="center">Runner-side plugin for the Source Academy CSE machine — sends evaluation snapshots to the host</p>
+
+<p align="center">
+  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/@sourceacademy/runner-cse-machine"><img src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/@sourceacademy/runner-cse-machine?color=1a2530&label=npm"></a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/runner/cse-machine"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/github-repo-blue?logo=github"></a>
+</p>
+
+## Features
+- Transports a complete run's worth of CSE snapshots from the evaluator (worker) to the host app (browser) over a Conductor channel
+- Language-agnostic: any evaluator can use it as long as it serializes its state into `CseSnapshot`s
+
+## Installation
+```bash
+yarn add @sourceacademy/runner-cse-machine
+# OR
+npm i @sourceacademy/runner-cse-machine
+# OR
+pnpm add @sourceacademy/runner-cse-machine
+```
+
+## Structure
+This package ([`@sourceacademy/runner-cse-machine`](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/runner/cse-machine)) contains the `CseMachinePlugin` class — a Conductor runner plugin that an evaluator registers and calls after each run to forward snapshots to the host.
+
+The plugin owns only the transport. Serializing a language's control/stash/environment into [`CseSnapshot`](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/common/cse-machine/README.md#csesnapshot)s is the evaluator's responsibility and stays in the evaluator repo.
+
+### API Reference
+| Name | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| `sendSnapshots(snapshots: CseSnapshot[]): void` | Send the full batch of snapshots for a completed run to the host plugin. Call this once per run after all steps have been collected. |
+
+## Usage
+After installation, import `CseMachinePlugin` and register it with the Conductor evaluator. After each run, collect your language-specific snapshots, serialize them into [`CseSnapshot`](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/common/cse-machine/README.md#csesnapshot)s, and call `sendSnapshots`.
+
+```ts
+import { CseMachinePlugin } from '@sourceacademy/runner-cse-machine';
+import type { CseSnapshot } from '@sourceacademy/common-cse-machine';
+
+// Register the plugin when setting up the evaluator
+const cseMachinePlugin = conductorContext.getPlugin(CseMachinePlugin);
+
+// After a run completes, serialize each step into a CseSnapshot
+const snapshots: CseSnapshot[] = steps.map((step, i) => ({
+  stepIndex: i,
+  control: step.control.map(serializeControlItem),
+  stash: step.stash.map(serializeValue),
+  environments: serializeEnvChain(step.environments),
+  currentLine: step.currentNode?.line,
+}));
+
+cseMachinePlugin.sendSnapshots(snapshots);
+```
+
+For a full example of how to serialize a language's control/stash/environment into `CseSnapshot`s, see the [py-slang `PyCseMachinePlugin`](https://github.com/source-academy/py-slang/blob/main/src/conductor/plugins/PyCseMachinePlugin.ts).
+
+## Further reading
+- For the shared protocol types and IDs, see [`@sourceacademy/common-cse-machine`](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/common/cse-machine)
+- For the host-side plugin that renders snapshots, see [`@sourceacademy/web-cse-machine`](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/web/cse-machine)
+- The [plugins wiki](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/wiki) covers how Conductor plugins communicate
diff --git a/src/web/cse-machine/README.md b/src/web/cse-machine/README.md
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+<h1 align="center"> CSE Machine </h1>
+
+<p align="center">Web/host-side plugin for the Source Academy CSE machine — receives evaluation snapshots for rendering</p>
+
+<p align="center">
+  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/@sourceacademy/web-cse-machine"><img src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/@sourceacademy/web-cse-machine?color=1a2530&label=npm"></a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/web/cse-machine"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/github-repo-blue?logo=github"></a>
+</p>
+
+## Features
+- Subscribes to the CSE channel and delivers snapshot batches to the host app's visualization layer
+- Language-agnostic: works with any evaluator that sends `CseSnapshot`s via the runner plugin
+- Re-exports all protocol types from `@sourceacademy/common-cse-machine` so host apps need only one import
+
+## Installation
+In production, use the [plugin directory](https://github.com/source-academy/plugin-directory) hosted on [GitHub Pages](https://source-academy.github.io/plugins/directory.json). It contains a list of all plugins available in this monorepo. Your host app should be able to load plugins from the plugin directory (the Source Academy frontend does).
+
+For locally hosting the plugin repository, run `yarn build` at the root of the repository. Then serve the plugin directory with:
+```bash
+yarn dlx serve --cors dist/ -p 1915
+```
+The plugin directory will be available at `http://localhost:1915/directory.json`.
+
+To install the package directly:
+```bash
+yarn add @sourceacademy/web-cse-machine
+# OR
+npm i @sourceacademy/web-cse-machine
+# OR
+pnpm add @sourceacademy/web-cse-machine
+```
+
+## Structure
+This package ([`@sourceacademy/web-cse-machine`](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/web/cse-machine)) contains the `CseMachineHostPlugin` abstract class — a Conductor host plugin that subscribes to the [`CSE_CHANNEL`](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/common/cse-machine/README.md#constants) and delivers received [`CseSnapshot`](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/common/cse-machine/README.md#csesnapshot) batches to the host app.
+
+The plugin owns only the transport/receipt. Wiring snapshots into the actual visualization layer (adapter + renderer) is the host app's responsibility and stays in the host repo, because it is tightly coupled to the host's existing CSE machine UI.
+
+### API Reference
+| Name | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| `abstract receiveSnapshots(snapshots: CseSnapshot[]): void` | Called by the plugin each time a batch of snapshots arrives. Implement this in your host app to wire the snapshots into your visualization layer. |
+
+## Usage
+Extend `CseMachineHostPlugin` and implement `receiveSnapshots` to connect incoming snapshots to your rendering layer:
+
+```ts
+import { CseMachineHostPlugin } from '@sourceacademy/web-cse-machine';
+import type { CseSnapshot } from '@sourceacademy/web-cse-machine'; // re-exported from common
+
+export class MyCseMachinePlugin extends CseMachineHostPlugin {
+  receiveSnapshots(snapshots: CseSnapshot[]): void {
+    // Hand snapshots to your visualization layer, e.g.:
+    cseMachineStore.setSnapshots(snapshots);
+  }
+}
+```
+
+For a full example of how the Source Academy frontend wires this into its CSE machine UI, see the [frontend source](https://github.com/source-academy/frontend).
+
+## Further reading
+- For the shared protocol types and IDs, see [`@sourceacademy/common-cse-machine`](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/common/cse-machine)
+- For the runner-side plugin that sends snapshots, see [`@sourceacademy/runner-cse-machine`](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/tree/main/src/runner/cse-machine)
+- The [plugins wiki](https://github.com/source-academy/plugins/wiki) covers how Conductor plugins communicate