Monster Media 1994 #2

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Fundamentals Screen Layout/Landmarks Crossword Creator's main screen, is divided into five major sections: Menu Bar - Crossword Creator's "control center". All of the program's major functions are invoked through pull-down menus. Puzzle Window - Where you design your puzzles. You cannot move the cursor outside of the puzzle window boundaries, nor can you type in other areas of the screen. The DOS filename of the current puzzle is displayed in the top boundary. Guide Window - Displays tips on how to design a puzzle. If you are ever unsure about "what to do next", glance at the instructions displayed here. Status Window - Contains various facts about the current puzzle: number of clues, cursor coordinates, available memory, etc. Dialog Box - Displayed when CWC needs to prompt you for additional information, or inform you about something. Try this now 1. Start Crossword Creator. An opening copyright screen is displayed while the program loads and initializes itself. 2. When initialization is complete, the main screen is displayed. Note the major elements described above. 3. To end the program, press the ALT key, and release it. Then press F (for "File"), followed by X (for "Exit"). Using the Keyboard Crossword Creator is, essentially, a specialized word-processor and a good deal of your time will be spent typing on the keyboard. Since this tutorial is not intended to be a primer on computers, we'll assume you already know what the keyboard is, how it works, and what all the keys do. However, Crossword Creator uses keystroke combinations and sequences that may be unfamiliar to you, and it's important that you interpret them correctly when they're referred to in the documentation or on the screen. CWC uses a simple notational convention to describe multi-key keystroke combinations. When the keycap names are joined together with a "+" (for example, Ctrl+P), it means that you should first press and hold down all of the keys, then release them together. When you see keycap names joined together with a "-" (for example, Alt-E-C), it means that you should press and release the keys in sequence. The F1 function key is the universal HELP key. You can display help at any time in Crossword Creator by pressing F1. The ESC key is the universal CANCEL key. Pressing ESC dismisses a dialog window, discarding all changes. Try this now 1. Start Crossword Creator. 2. From the main screen, press Alt-F-P. The "Print" dialog box is displayed. 3. Press ESC. The dialog box is dismissed. 4. Press Ctrl+P. The "Print" dialog box is displayed. Note that this "shortcut" bypassed the interim menu selections. 5. Press F1. A help window is displayed, presenting more information. Scroll through the text by pressing PgUp/PgDn or the cursor arrow keys. 6. Press ESC. The help window is dismissed. 7. Press ESC. The dialog box is dismissed, and you are returned to the main screen. Using the Menus Crossword Creator, like all computer programs, is simply a collection of related functions that help you accomplish a specific task. In that sense, CWC can be thought of as a "toolbox" for building crossword puzzles, and to use those tools you must select them from the menu bar. In its neutral state, the menu bar appears along the top line of the screen. Each word in the menu bar is associated with a group of related tools. To activate the menu bar, press the ALT key. Once activated, each word in the menu bar displays a highlighted letter. Pressing one of these "hotkeys" displays a menu of the related tools. Each of the menu items also has a highlighted letter, and pressing one of those hotkeys will invoke the corresponding tool. Some tools have a "shortcut" keystroke, displayed to the right of their menu name. You can bypass the menus and invoke these tools directly by pressing the shortcut key. If a tool's menu name ends with an ellipsis ("..."), it means that you will be prompted for more information before the tool is invoked. Try this now 1. From the main screen, press ALT. The menu bar is activated and the hotkeys become highlighted. 2. Press F. The File menu is displayed. 3. Notice that the "Open" menu item ends with an ellipsis, and that the shortcut key for "Open" is Ctrl+O. 4. Press O. The "Open" dialog box is displayed. 5. Press ESC. 6. Now press the shortcut key for "Open", Ctrl+O. The "Open" dialog box is displayed immediately, bypassing the File menu. 7. Press ESC. You are returned to the main screen. Using Dialog Boxes To make use of a software program you must be able to interact with it. In Crossword Creator the exchange of information between you and the computer is handled primarily by dialog boxes. As its name implies, a dialog box establishes a "conversation" between you and the software so that you can input information, as well as receive it. Almost everything you do in Crossword Creator has a dialog box associated with it, so it is very important to understand how they work. Dialog boxes are easy to recognize because they "pop-up" in the center of the screen. You will also notice that each dialog box contains a unique set of controls, similar to the dashboard of a car or the front panel of a microwave. Crossword Creator uses five different controls, each one specialized for a particular kind of input. The following graphic illustrates how each type of control is used. Text Box - Used for typing freeform text. A text box is like a "mini" word-processor because you can type words, delete and insert characters, move the cursor, etc. In the example, the name of the person making the reservation has been typed in. List Box - Used for making a choice. A list box is a "single choice" control because you may select only one item from the list. To make a selection, use the cursor arrow keys to highlight your choice, then press ENTER. In the example, "American" has been selected as the airline. If a scroll bar is present on the right-hand border, it means that the list contains additional items that are not visible. However, you can scroll through the entire list using the cursor arrow keys and the PgUp/PgDn keys. +-------------------- reservation --------------------+ | | Text | + Name --------------+ + Seat Location -----+ | Box ---------- | Joe Businessman | | ( ) Window | | | +--------------------+ | ( ) Center | ----- Radio | | (o) Aisle | | Buttons | + Airline -----------+ +--------------------+ | | | American | | List Box | +--------------------+ + Special Needs -----+ | with | | Alaskan ^ | [ ] VIP Security | | Scroll Bar --- | American | | [X] WS Journal | ----- Check | | Delta v | [X] Laptop PC | | Boxes | +--------------------+ +--------------------+ | | | Command +-----------------------------------------------------+ Buttons ------------------- < Ok > < Cancel > | +-----------------------------------------------------+ Radio Buttons - Used for making a choice. Similar to a list box, radio buttons allow you to select only one item from the group. To make a selection, press the SPACEBAR on the button of your choice. In the example, "Aisle" has been selected as the seat location. Check Boxes - Used for selecting options. Check boxes are a "multiple choice" control because you can select as many items as are available. Use the SPACEBAR as a "toggle" to select and deselect the items you want. In the example, special needs of "WS Journal" and "Laptop PC" have been checked. Command - Used for initiating action. Command buttons Buttons are the only controls that actually cause something to "happen". To select a command, press the SPACEBAR on the button of your choice. The most common commands are "Ok" ("accept my input and proceed"), and "Cancel" ("ignore my input and do nothing"). All dialog boxes contain at least one command button. The last, and most important, point about using dialog boxes is the concept of "focus". Although a dialog box may contain multiple controls, your computer has only one keyboard and can therefore interact with only one control at a time -- the control that has the focus. The TAB and Shift+TAB keys allow you to move the focus from one control to the next, and the control that currently has the focus is always highlighted to draw your attention. Moving the focus allows you to interact with each control in turn. Try this now 1. From the main screen, press Alt-F-P. The "Print" dialog box is displayed. 2. Notice the group of radio buttons labeled "Format". The first item, "Puzzle and Clues", is highlighted, indicating that this control currently has the focus. Note, also, that "Puzzle and Clues" is the currently selected choice for "Format". This is indicated by the dot inside the parentheses, "()", to the left of the item. 3. Press the TAB key five times. Watch as the focus moves to each of the other choices in the "Format" group. 4. The focus is now on "Word List", although the selected choice is still "Puzzle and Clues". Press the SPACEBAR. 5. The dot now indicates that "Word List" is the desired format. 6. Press TAB seven times. The focus has now moved into "Options", a group of check boxes, and "Fill Puzzle Area" is highlighted. 7. Press the SPACEBAR twice. Notice how the checkmark inside the brackets, "[X]", is toggled on and off. 8. Press TAB four times. The focus moves to the text box labeled "Destination". 9. Type "outer space". Notice how the old text is replaced with the new text. 10. Press F2. The focus jumps to the "Ok" command button. If you wanted Crossword Creator to accept all your changes and begin printing, you would select this button. Right now, though, we don't want to do that. Note: F2 is provided as a shortcut key on all dialogs. Regardless of where the focus is, pressing F2 will move it to the first command button. 11. Press TAB, again, to move to the "Cancel" button. Selecting this command will simply discard all the changes you've made and dismiss the dialog box. 12. Press the SPACEBAR to select the "Cancel" button. The dialog disappears and you're returned to CWC's main screen. Using a Mouse Crossword Creator has built-in support for Microsoft-compatible mice. If the appropriate mouse software is installed on your system and a mouse is indeed attached, CWC will recognize it automatically. As with the "Keyboard" topic, this tutorial will not tell you how to install a mouse, nor explain how it works. If the terms button, click, press, release, and drag are unfamiliar to you, spend some time with your mouse's owner's manual and practice these techniques. It will be well worth your effort. CWC's mouse support is extended primarily to the menu bar and the dialog boxes. All but two of the mouse actions are performed with Button 1 (usually the left-most button on the mouse). In addition, there are some simple short-cuts associated with the Puzzle Window. Try this now 1. From the main screen, click on the word File in the menu bar, then click on Print in the pull-down menu. The "Print" dialog box is displayed. 2. Click on one or more of the radio buttons in the "Format" group. Notice that clicking on a control not only moves the focus to that item, but selects it as well. 3. Click on one or more of the check boxes in the "Options" group. Clicking on a check box toggles its on/off state. 4. Click on the "Copies" text box. Clicking on a text box simply moves the focus. Naturally, you'll have to use the keyboard to type in your data. 5. Click on the "Cancel" command button. All of your changes are discarded, and the dialog is dismissed. You're returned to CWC's main screen. 6. Click anywhere inside the Puzzle Window. The puzzle cursor moves to that location. 7. Lastly, use Button 2 (usually the right-most button on your mouse) to click inside the Puzzle Window. This is identical to selecting the "Edit Clues" tool from the "Edit" menu. 8. If the "Edit Clues" dialog box is displayed, click on "Cancel". If a message box is displayed, click on "Ok". You're returned to CWC's main screen. The Grand Tour In this section we'll be touring the landscape of Crossword Creator. Our destination: your first puzzle. Although we'll be exploring several of CWC's tools, this trip will definitely be "in the fast lane", not the "scenic route". The goal is to produce a finished puzzle in as few steps, and in the shortest amount of time, as possible. Of course there will still be much for you to explore on your own, but we want to get that first crossword into your hands right now. So, if you haven't already, startup Crossword Creator and move to the main screen. Here we go. ______________________________ The Words Of course, a crossword puzzle is composed of words and clues, but the words must come first in CWC. The "Edit Bank" tool will accept a list of words, so that's where we'll start. 1. Press Alt-E-B. The "Edit Bank" dialog is displayed; the "Word/Pattern" text box has the focus. 2. Place 10 words of your own choosing into the word bank. First type a word, then press ENTER to place it in the list. 3. Move the focus to the "Ok" command button and press the SPACEBAR. Your list is saved, and the dialog is dismissed. The Grid Okay, now we have a word list. Next, we need to intersect those words into a grid, so we'll use the "Auto Place" tool. 1. Press Alt-E-A. The "Auto Place" dialog is displayed; the "Word" text box has the focus. Also, notice that your words are displayed in the "Bank" list box. 2. Look at the two controls grouped under "Mode", and the two controls grouped under "Robot". If they are not already, select the "Freeform" button, check the "Enabled" box, and check the "Long Words First" box. 3. Press F2 to move the focus to the "Across" command button. 4. Press the SPACEBAR to begin building the puzzle grid. While you watch, Crossword Creator will do its best to intersect your words; this should only take a few seconds. If CWC does not generate a grid of acceptable size, go back to "Edit Bank", type in some more words, and run "Auto Place" again. 5. When the robot is finished, the "Auto Place" dialog will be redisplayed. Leftover words that were not placed into the grid will still be visible in the "Bank" list box. Press ESC to dismiss the dialog. Although you will probably use the "Auto Place" tool most often, you may also build grids manually by typing words directly into the Puzzle Window. Built-in text-editing features enable you to modify the grid at any time so you can add additional words, delete words, move words to new locations, etc. Simply use Crossword Creator as if it were a word-processor, and treat the Puzzle Window as if it were a block of text. If you want to edit the grid manually, remember that you may type vertically, as well as horizontally. Simply press the Plus key ("+") to toggle the typing direction from "ACROSS" to "DOWN", or select the "Toggle Direction" option from the "Edit" menu. The Clues Well, you may have thought that building a grid would be the hard part. But, as you can see, Crossword Creator makes it a snap. It's the clues that actually take a little time. And, now that we have a grid, we're ready to go to work on them with the "Edit Clues" tool. 1. Press Alt-E-C. The "Edit Clues" dialog is displayed. If the "Across" text box does not have the focus, press PgUp to move it there. 2. Type in the clue for the "Across" word. Clues can be up to four lines in length. Note, though, that there is no word-wrap. To move from one line to the next you must press TAB or Shift+TAB, or use the cursor arrow keys. 3. When your "Across" clue is complete, press PgUp to select the next "Across" word. Type in the clue as you did before. Continue this process until all of the "Across" words have clues. When the first clue you typed appears again, you know that you've cycled through all of the "Across" words. 4. Press PgDn to move the focus to the "Down" text box, and supply a clue for each "Down" word. Remember to use PgDn (rather than PgUp) to cycle through the "Down" words. 5. When you've supplied a clue for each word in the puzzle, press the "Ok" command button to dismiss the dialog. The Puzzle That's it -- you're done. There are just two minor things left to do: save your work, and print the finished puzzle. 1. Press Alt-F-S. The "Save As" dialog is displayed. Notice that although you selected "Save" from the menu, the "Save As" dialog was displayed instead. Crossword Creator always presents the "Save As" dialog when you save a new puzzle for the first time. 2. Supply a name for your puzzle in the "Name" text box, replacing the "UNTITLED" default. Crossword Creator uses this name to store your puzzle on disk. 3. Supply a title for your puzzle. It's not required, but if you provide a title it will appear centered over the puzzle when you print it. 4. Press "Ok". Your puzzle is now safely stored on disk. The Finished Product 1. Press Alt-F-P to display the "Print" dialog. 2. Under "Format", select "Puzzle And Clues", then press "Ok" to begin printing. Printing is always a time-consuming task on computers, so CWC displays message boxes that keep you informed of its progress. Notice that each message box provides a "Cancel" button that will immediately stop the print process if you press it. ______________________________ Well, the tour's over and you have your first crossword puzzle in hand. Along the way you learned about, menus, dialogs, controls, and dozens of other Crossword Creator details. You are no longer a novice; you're a journeyman cruciverbalist. Becoming an expert just takes practice and experience. Of course, there are many other useful gadgets in Crossword Creator's "toolbox" that we didn't even try. But your own experience and CWC's extensive on-line Help will serve you well as you explore the more advanced features. And remember, if you get lost, the Guide Window is always there to make gentle suggestions about what to do next. Thanks for riding along.