Current Shareware 1994 January/SHAR194.ISO/games/neufneuf.zip/NEUFNEUF.DOC

Text File | 1993-09-13 | 28KB | 498 lines

     ****************************************************************
     *                                                              *
     *                      N E U F N E U F                         *
     *                                                              *
     *                       version  1.0                           *
     *                                                              *
     *               author :  Jean-Pierre  CHATENET                *
     *                                                              *
     *         this is software  for crossword authors for          *
     *         the production of grids in a 9 by 9 format.          *
     *                                                              *
     ****************************************************************


1°)  GENERALITIES ABOUT NEUFNEUF
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
     NEUFNEUF is software  created to help  crossword puzzle authors  for
the production of grids in a 9 by 9 format. It runs on I.B.M. compatibles
and needs a colour screen (the graphic card doesn't matter: it only works
in text mode).  It uses only 640 KB of R.A.M. (that will also be true for
future versions).

     NEUFNEUF  is more  than a grid editor:  it takes  an active part  in
their creation and it saves the authors a great deal of time to elaborate
those grids with a professional level number of black squares.  It allows
them to devote more care to write the definitions.

     NEUFNEUF is distributed  according  to the principle  of  shareware:
you are allowed to copy it, to test it freely to see if it suits you, but
you may not use it legally after this test  unless you pay the author the
amount asked (see 2°).  In the interest of its users, I insist that every
professional  who distributes NEUFNEUF  contacts me  in order to be up to
date on further versions.

     Those further versions  will only be created  if you  friendly users
play it fair by paying me.  The shareware allows you,  on the one hand to
test software  before using it,  and on the other hand  to get attractive
prices. For cheap software, support the authors!

     In fact,  for this first version of NEUFNEUF,  I concentrated before
anything on the essential. The lack of comfort, because it hasn't yet the
look and feel  and the usual facilities  you can expect,  are  few things
considering the time gained in preparing the grids, once you overcome its
functioning.

     For example, I preferred to content myself with very brief menus for
the personalization  (you do that once and for all)  and to give (for the
time being) on the use of the Up and PageUp keys  for the updating of the
word file, but to give the possibility of getting these two menus without
losing a grid in progress. Suppose THE word you need in your grid is mis-
sing in the file: you can add it immediatly, then come back to your grid.

     NEUFNEUF consists of four files:
NEUFNEUF.DOC:  it's the documentation you are reading;
NEUFNEUF.EXE:  it's the program;
NEUFNEUF.YOU:  it's a small file (30 bytes),  which contains the informa-
               tion about personalization.  If it's missing  or obviously
               wrong, it's re-created with default options.
NEUFNEUF.DIC:  it's the word file.
It's mandatory (except for NEUFNEUF.DOC)  that these files be in the same
directory, without any modified name, and this directory must be the cur-
rent directory.  Otherwise,  the program fails.  It means that if you run
NEUFNEUF from a floppy disk,  it must be with the writing protection off,
and you mustn't take it off the drive.  As it's not a crucial problem,  I
put off its solution  to a later version.  When it starts,  NEUFNEUF,  at
first,  loads the word file (it's rather long  because when it reads  the
file,  it orders the words  in conformity with the internal "cooking"  of
the program), and only afterwards, it displays the main menu.

     For the time being,  and for this first version,  NEUFNEUF only uses
the keyboard,  not the mouse,  and it does not allow you  to save  a grid
into a file. It will come later on, ... if you are numerous enough to en-
courage me.

     As told at the beginning of this documentation, NEUFNEUF is software
created to help crossword authors.  It means it doesn't make the grid for
them.  I could have created  such a program,  but the results would  have
been poor. And I am fiercely opposed to that aberration which consists of
replacing systematically  human beings  by computers,  even when they are
obviously complementary. What do you think of that?  NEUFNEUF is software
you have to "drive" like a game.  And besides,  isn't it an exciting game
to create a FINE grid, a grid of which you are proud to be the author?


2°)  HOW TO PAY THE AUTHOR
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
     If you live in the United Kingdom or in another E.E.C. country  (the
Common Market),  I ask you,  for using NEUFNEUF,  the amount of 17 pounds
sterling (or the equivalent).

     If you live outside the E.E.C.,  I ask you,  for using NEUFNEUF,  25
U.S. dollars (or the equivalent). Of course, you can deduct stamp charges
from this amount!

     Here is my address: ..........................  Jean-Pierre CHATENET
                                                     165 rue Pelleport
                                                     75020 PARIS (FRANCE)

     It's obvious  that the payment  of this asked amount will enable you
to receive information as soon as a new version is available,  and that I
will not ask you for any extra charge to use this version.


3°)  HOW TO PERSONALIZE NEUFNEUF
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
     I think it's unseemly to distribute software  which does not allow a
minimum of easiness to personalize it.   Isn't it shocking,  when so many
speeches are done about multimedia, to offer software  that doesn't allow
to choose between a visual signal  and a sound signal,  to choose the co-
lours? It's not only a question of personal tastes! There are ill-hearing
persons, others have some defects  about the perception  of colours. This
is not what will saturate the memory of the computers!

     Of course, for this first version of NEUFNEUF, what I put in the me-
nus is quite brief,  and I invite you to do your own personalization with
this documentation near you.  In any case, don't worry:  in case of wrong
choice,  you can recover  the default personalization  by choosing "8" on
the personalization menu.

3.1  HOW TO PERSONALIZE THE GRID'S COLOURS

     When you construct a grid, each square is shown with a coloured rec-
tangle  (the underlying logic is explained in 5°).  You can modify  these
colours.

     If you have chosen this option, you can't come back to the preceding
menu before you finish giving all the information.  Once more, don't wor-
ry:  you will be asked  to validate  at the end,  with a visualisation of
each type of square.  It's obvious that in your interest  you must choose
eight different colours  for the background,  but NEUFNEUF doesn't decide
for you. It only prevents you from choosing the same colour for the back-
ground and the text: it would be absolutely unreadable.

     You will  probably  be surprised  to have  to record  an information
about the text for the black squares: it's because NEUFNEUF uses for them
either three blanks (background) or three "█" (text):  it's useful to ma-
terialize the cursor. To keep a good visibility, you have to choose close
colours for this.  The default colours are  0 (black)  for the background
and 8 (light grey) for the text.

     You will also notice  that the choice  you make  for the outline  is
also used for the heading of the program and for the visualization of the
loading of the word file.  There is also a fancy  when you start creating
a grid,  for the choice of the first seven black squares;  the correction
is planned in the next version.

3.2  HOW TO PERSONALIZE OTHER COLOURS

     Almost all the other colours are concerned.  It's important that the
characters you can choose from the keyboard for doing anything always ap-
pear with the same look.

     Like for the grid's colours, you can't come back to the previous me-
nu before you finish all the required information, but again, don't worry
about this:  you will have to validate (or not).  There are only four co-
lours to choose  (background and text),  so  it's  easier  than  for  the
grid's.  And in the same way,  NEUFNEUF  will refuse your choice  only if
it's the same colour for the text than for the background.

3.3  HOW TO PERSONALIZE THE WARNING AND/OR CALL

     Here it's much easier, so there is no validation and the updating is
immediate.  The warning signal is sent out  when you make  a wrong choice
with the keyboard  (not systematically:  it's considered  in a later ver-
sion), or when you have to confirm for security  (for example: to give up
a grid). The call signal is sent at the end  of the reading or writing of
the word file NEUFNEUF.DIC.  The default choices  have no  visual signal:
the warning is one "bip", the call is three consecutive "bip".

     For each of these two signals, you can use:
- either the ringing "bip"
- either the visual signal  (for this,  NEUFNEUF has kept  the outline of
  the screen:  its colour is the one  from the background  chosen for the
  alarm messages:  see above in the personalization of the other colours)
- either both ringing and visual signals
- either none of them
And for the call signal,  you can choose to go on sending it  until a key
is pressed.

     NEUFNEUF inquires successively about:
- a choice for the ringing "bip", for the warning,
- a choice for the visual signal, for the warning,
- a choice for the ringing "bip", for the call,
- a choice for the visual signal, for the call.

3.4  HOW TO PERSONALIZE THE UPDATING OF THE WORD FILE

     Updating a file of English words is easier than with other languages
that have accents,  cedillas,  etc...   There is only one choice  to make
with the English version of NEUFNEUF (a French version is available).  If
there is an "Æ" on your keyboard,  you can use this key for recording  an
"A" followed  with an "E" (only  when you update the word file).  But you
need to have already answered "Y"(es)  on this menu,  because the default
("N"(o)) leaves the key idle.


4°)  UPDATING THE WORD FILE
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
     Of course,  you will have to update the word file: NEUFNEUF.DIC.  On
one hand,  it wouldn't be impossible that some mistakes had crept in when
I created it (English is not my mother tongue). On the other hand, proper
nouns, and sometimes common nouns,  appear and disappear in usual dictio-
naries.

     For basic care,  NEUFNEUF systematically saves its word file  if ne-
cessary before coming back to DOS.  You must know  that it doesn't check,
before re-writing,  if the memory's size is enough.  So, in particular if
you use a floppy disk with something else in it,  you'll have to forecast
and keep some more memory  to avoid a fail  which would involve  the loss
of your modifications.  That's a problem which should be solved in a next
version.

     If you try to suppress a word which does not exist in its word file,
NEUFNEUF warns you  with a special window,  in order not to be obliged to
visualize the part of the file where that word should have been. When you
create a grid, if a wrong (or not satisfying) word appears, you can imme-
diately come back to the main menu to call the update of NEUFNEUF.DIC and
choose the "2" option  (remove a word),  type in the word  which might be
removed, be aware if it doesn't exist (that would mean a typing mistake),
then come back to the grid by the reverse way. Then, erase that word from
your grid, for instance by re-initializing the corresponding squares, and
run the procedure again. The word will not appear any more.

     In the same way,  NEUFNEUF displays  a warning window  if you try to
add a word which is already in its word file.  It is not as useful as for
the removal, but while I was at it...


5°)  CREATING YOUR FIRST CROSSWORD GRID
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
     First of all, have you started by making a back up? You should do it
for every software and data you use! Even if a program has no bug or mis-
take, you are always in danger (if excepting a virus) of an incident with
electric power, or of a breakdown inside your computer.

     To learn how NEUFNEUF works,  I suggest that you try,  at first,  to
create a grid with a great number of black squares. I am sure that you'll
manage quickly to do much better.  And you'll see that for the procedures
of grid creation,  only one modification  (two  for a better comfort)  is
wished, postponed to the next version, fortunately!

     Start referring to NEUFNEUF.DIC (choice n°3: Update the word file on
the main menu),  then choose inside it  a word of nine letters,  that you
will put in your first grid.   For this, come back to the main menu, then
choose option 4°:  Create a crossword puzzle grid.   NEUFNEUF then offers
seven black squares.  Press "N" until their layout suits you,   and  then
press "Y".

     Then type your chosen word which will fill the first line across. In
case of a mistake, you have to come back with the Left key,  not with the
BackSpace key.  You can see the cursor shown  on your grid  not only by a
light modification of colour (with the default personalization), but also
by a thick line across and a thin line down  on the outside edges of that
grid.

     Come back with the Left key to the left top corner of the grid. Then
press the "1" key.  You will immediately notice an inversion to the thick
and thin lines,  both still showing the grid cursor.  Then type a word of
nine letters beginning  by the same  as the first word.  Notice  that you
don't overwrite the first word, but that you fill the first column.  Once
at the bottom, press the "4" key. The down word is erased and the corres-
ponding squares,  including  the first letter  of your word across,  come
back to the main color of the grid.

     Press the F10 function key. You'll see that some squares will change
colour.  You have to wait a few seconds with fairly old computers. Then a
message will be displayed under the grid.

     It must be clear  that a set of possible letters corresponds to each
square (except for a black square)  and that their colour shows it.  Here
is the meaning of the default colours:
magenta ........... more than 19 letters,
magenta and blue .. from 15 to 19 letters,
blue .............. from 10 to 14 letters,
blue and green .... from 5 to 9 letters,
green ............. from 2 to 4 letters,
if there is only one letter, it's displayed in the square,
red ............... there is no more letter: the square is empty.

     Pressing  the F10 function key  ran the procedure  which constitutes
the main difference between NEUFNEUF and a simple grid editor, and allows
(after a short learning) to save so much time:  when you modify  the con-
tent of one or several square(s)  and when after this  you press  the F10
key, NEUFNEUF takes off letters from the squares of the WHOLE grid to ma-
ke it compatible with your modification.

     When the procedure started by pressing the F10 function key has run,
one of the three following message appears under your grid:
- To go on, remove at least one letter
  from such a square:  ███░░░███░░░███
  (you can recognize five rectangles,  of the same size as the squares of
  the grid, with the colours corresponding to more than one possible let-
  ter)
- Impossibility : empty squares : ███ !
  You have to (re-)modify some squares.
  (obviously, the rectangle is the same as any other which shows an empty
  square on the grid)
- It's over. Copy out your grid
  before giving it up!

     As long as the third message doesn't appear,  you have to act diffe-
rently according to whether the first or the second was displayed, before
running  the NEUFNEUF specific procedure again  by pressing  the F10 key.
Succeeding  in creating a grid  without acting  on the layout and/or  the
number of black squares  is quite exceptional.  I have seen it  only once
before.  To progress,  we almost always have to make modifications, seve-
ral times during the process, when some empty squares appear.

     In case  NEUFNEUF  prompts you  to remove at least one letter from a
square, this is how to proceed: choose the square  on which you'll act by
moving the grid cursor.  I advise you to do it on one of those where let-
ters are the least numerous. With the default colours, they are the green
squares (or the green-blue if there is not any green one). Then press the
"6" key. Remove one of the letters shown by NEUFNEUF under the grid. Then
press the F10 key.  That is a bit long, because it's very likely that you
will have to repeat this procedure,  but it's the most efficient  method.
If you are used to creating grids,  you can (after pressing "6") refer to
the letters only,  come back  to the grid creating  menu by pressing "9",
then  type the one  that your feelings  have indicated  as the most judi-
cious. It is quicker this way.

     In case NEUFNEUF indicates  at least  one empty square,  you have to
re-initialize some squares by modifying your choices of letters, and / or
(I advise you to do it a lot at the beginning to get used to it)  add one
black square in the neighbourhood of the empty square(s).  To add a black
square where the grid cursor is,  you have to press the "2" key.   And to
re-initialize the squares corresponding to a word (that is to say: to put
back there the 26 letters), press the "4" key: that works across or down,
according to the thick outer line on the edges of the grid, which you can
change by pressing the "1" key.  Of course, you have to press the F10 key
to run again.  And don't worry  if you've forgotten  to re-initialize the
empty square(s): NEUFNEUF will do it for you.

     When you get more accustomed to it,  you'll notice  that the quality
of your grids will at first depend on the stategies you use when NEUFNEUF
shows you  one (or more) empty square(s).  You'll be able  to remove  one
black square  and put another one  right beside it,  and see  whether you
succeed.  You'll notice that when it's nearly over and when empty squares
appear,  it's often judicious  to re-initialize  a good deal of the grid,
half or more; below,  when I make the function of the "4" key explicit, I
indicate a method for that, but it's not the only one. I rely entirely on
your cleverness.

     For security's sake,  you cannot give up a grid  about to be created
without it being clearly asked,  then confirmed.  If you leave a grid you
are creating and you come back to it with option 4° of the main menu, you
will find it again  (except when the procedure has not been run  by pres-
sing the F10 key).  This security is also available  if you ask  to leave
NEUFNEUF.

     Now,  you know how to move  the grid cursor,  how to go through  the
essential processes to create your first grid, and perhaps you have noti-
ced  that the black squares  are protected  from accidentally putting  in
letter(s).  There are, below,  more detailed explanations about available
control keys.


6°)  LIST OF CONTROLS FOR CREATING A GRID
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
6.1  (by pressing the «1» key):  Switch  down / across:

     It is in effect a switch,  and you notice it by the thickness of the
outside grid lines,  helping to locate the cursor.  This acts not only on
the typing of letters and words  (by moving the cursor),  but also on the
re-initialization of the squares corresponding to a word (by pressing the
"4" key, as you've noticed), and on the consulting of available words (by
pressing the "3" key: see further).

6.2  (by pressing the «2» key):  Switch  black squares:

     This key is also a switch. It acts on the square where the grid cur-
sor is.  If the square was not black, it becomes black.  If it was black,
it's not so any more  and it's  re-initialized  with the 26 letters.   Of
course,  it's not judicious to add a black square  when NEUFNEUF asks you
to remove at least one letter  from a square.  Here is the trick  for re-
initializing only the square (not black) where the grid cursor is:  press
the "2" key twice.

6.3  (by pressing the «3» key):  See words if possible:

     This key acts across or down,  according to the state  of the switch
controlled by "1".  It shows all the possible words  for the position  of
the grid cursor. Press the Return key to see the following word (if there
is one)  or press the "9" key to come back to the grid creating menu.  If
this control does not work  and does not show any word,   that is because
there is none,  and if no square is empty yet,  it's bound to happen, ex-
cept if you manage judiciously to avoid it.  It's only possible to visua-
lize the words,  not to put them in the grid.  But as nearly everyone who
has accepted to test NEUFNEUF told me  that this would be convenient,   I
promise to think about it.

6.4  (by pressing the «4» key):  Re-initialize squares:

     This key acts across or down,  according to the state  of the switch
controlled by "1".  It re-initializes,  with all 26 letters  (from "A" to
"Z"), all the squares of the word where the grid cursor is.  When a large
part of the grid is already filled  with one-letter squares,  and one (or
several) empty square(s) appear(s),  it is sometimes better to proceed in
this way: set the cursor at the beginning of the word at the nearest edge
of the grid, considering the "problem";  put the down/across switch  per-
pendicular to this word;  press the "4" key,  then press the arrowed key,
repeating both actions to follow this word to the end; at last, press the
F10 key. This method often gives good results.  Of course, it's not judi-
cious to press the "4" key  when NEUFNEUF asks you to remove at least one
letter from a square.

6.5  (by pressing the «5» key):  Save  the input words
                                 (and re-initializat°):

     This key safeguards  all the full words already created  (this means
that it prevents NEUFNEUF from destroying them with empty squares. It al-
so re-initializes all the other squares of the grid  which are not black.
It often allows to be faster, but it ABSOLUTELY requires of you to verify
all the words protected in this way.  If some words across are protected,
this can entail the safeguard of a succession of squares down which don't
compose a word!  And vice versa.  It is impossible  to solve this problem
without deciding for you;  it would be wrong.  Anyway,  don't worry about
the word file,  if it happens!  It is not due to it.  The next version of
NEUFNEUF is planned to indicate those series of letters that don't compo-
se words.  Like the "2" and "4" keys, you don't have to use "5"  when the
program asks you to remove at least one letter from a square.

6.6  (by pressing the «6» key):  Remove   one   letter:

     This key works on the square where the grid cursor is.  It shows you
all the letters which are there. You can either press the letter you have
decided to remove, or press the "9" key to come back to the grid creating
menu  without modifying  what the square contains.  Experience shows that
using this key  is absolutely  necessary  to  obtain  professional  level
grids.

6.7  The other keys:

     I'm sure they won't be any problem to you.  You know how to move the
grid cursor with the four arrowed keys (Up, Down, Left, Right);  you know
how to put a letter or a word;  you know that the F10 function key orders
NEUFNEUF to work for you.  And if you press  the "7" key  by mistake,  it
does not matter:  there is a warning,  and you will not lose the grid  if
you don't confirm.


7°)  HOW TO CREATE A WORD FILE FOR NEUFNEUF
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
     An English version  and a French version  of NEUFNEUF are available,
both with a word file.

     If you want to use another language (it's only possible if the twen-
ty-six capital letters from "A" to "Z" are used), either you already have
a word file, or you don't.  In each case,  you have to know how  NEUFNEUF
reads this file,  which MUST be named  NEUFNEUF.DIC:  it only selects the
series from 2 to 9 capital letters  (from "A" to "Z"),  and it puts aside
all the others  (including the series  of more than  9  capital letters).
Words of a same length  must ABSOLUTELY be sorted  by alphabetical order,
and the file MUST be without any duplicated word. If these two conditions
are not respected,  you cannot access the updating of the word file,  and
when you see possible words (by pressing the "3" key on the grid creating
menu),  they probably are displayed  in disorder.  You also have  to know
that if there are too few words  of only one length (from 2 to 9),  NEUF-
NEUF doesn't give you access to the grid creating menu: you would be was-
ting your time.

     If you have a word file and it's not directly usable by NEUFNEUF,  I
advise you to ask an informatician friend (unless you can do it yourself)
to make a short special program for you.

     If you have to compose  your word file  by yourself,  you cannot di-
rectly start with NEUFNEUF for this work.  If you try to,  there is a big
risk of failure! It's because when the updating of the word file is being
done,  NEUFNEUF tests the lower limit  neither of the number of words  in
each length, nor of the number of whole words. Such a tool is not planned
in a next version:  it's voluntary:  it's to avoid reducing the speed.  I
advise you to use a text editor ("edit" of MS-DOS 5.0 is perfectly suita-
ble)  and to create a text file  with twenty words of two capital letters
sorted  in alphabetical order,  then  in the same way  twenty words  with
three letters, twenty with four letters, .... , twenty with nine letters.
Then name this text file NEUFNEUF.DIC,  and copy it in the same directory
as NEUFNEUF.EXE (it takes the place of the original file that I created).
Run NEUFNEUF and check  that you did not get back some special characters
from the text editor.  Of course,  you'll have to type  far more words so
that NEUFNEUF can permit you to create a grid.


8°)  THE AUTHOR PLANS PROFESSIONAL SOFTWARE
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
     I intend  to elaborate  professional software  for crossword authors
before the end of 1993. It will use NeXTstep because of the extraordinary
benefits  of this environment.  Don't forget,  if you are interested,  to
tell me, when you send your payment, the maximum format of grids that you
wish.

     Moreover, I'll be soon  (that is to say, probably at the moment when
you read these lines)  in the position  of creating  big crossword grids,
not only in English or French but in any other language using the twenty-
six unaccentuated letters  of the latin alphabet  if you supply me with a
word file for that purpose.

*************************************************************************