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1993-06-20
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The
Crossword
Construction
Kit
Version 1.2
Shareware
Documentation
Copyright (c) 1993
Kijin Jung
All Rights Reserved
CCK 1.2 page 2 Version 1.2
The Crossword Construction Kit (CCK) and its accompanying
documentation is provided AS IS without any warranty of any kind,
expressed or implied, including but not limited to warranties of
merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or
functionality. In no event shall the author be liable for any
damages, including lost profits, lost savings or any other
incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or the
inability to use this program.
This program is copyrighted and may only be distributed with all
accompanying files, without any modifications, including this DOC
file.
Postscript and Adobe Illustrator are registered trademarks of
Adobe Systems Incroporated.
CorelDRAW! is a registered trademark of Corel Corporation.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
CCK 1.2 page 3 Version 1.2
Table of Contents
Introduction ........................................ 4
What's New .......................................... 5
Benefits of Registration ............................ 6
Installation ........................................ 7
Template Menu ....................................... 8
Game Menu ...........................................10
Printing to Files ...................................12
Registration Form ...................................13
Future Versions .....................................14
CCK 1.2 page 4 Version 1.2
Introduction
Welcome to The Crossword Construction Kit, version 1.2!
CCK allows you to create square, diagonally symmetrical
crossword puzzles - the kind you see in your local news-
paper. After constructing and filling in the grid, CCK gives
you the option of saving the grid and the solutions as EPS
files for a professional appearance. Clues can be saved sep-
arately as text files, which you may format as you desire.
Reasons
Well, two reasons. One, I like solving and creating cross-
word puzzles. I couldn't find a program which would allow me
to easily create them. Two, I wanted to learn C. Yup, one
day, I was overcome with an overpowering, uncontrollable
urge to learn C, and I thought to myself, as I was in the
process of writing my master's thesis, at about six o' clock
on a Thursday evening, hmmm, I'll learn C! Then I made a ham
sandwich for dinner. And thus, CCK was begat...
List of Files
CCK12.ZIP:
Filename Description
=============================================================
CCK.DOC this file
CCK.EXE the executable file
CCK.ICO hey, what the heck, everyone else is doing it
CCK.PIF ditto
README.1ST release notes
CCK1.* sample template and game
CCK2.* sample template and game
FILES.LST just this same list again
ORDER.FRM order form
WHATSNEW.TXT changes from version 1.1
CCK 1.2 page 5 Version 1.2
What's New
Changes in CCK 1.2 (June 20, 1993)
- Added Microsoft mouse support.
- Added prolog to EPS files to make them printable to
PostScript printers.
Changes in CCK 1.1 (June 12, 1993)
- Removed the across and down numbers when printing the
grid solution to an EPS file.
- Added a context-sensitive color-coded(!) help engine.
- Added a 15-space clue window when entering clues.
- Added arrow marker to indicate whether the clue is longer
than clue window.
- Changed the behavior of backspace while entering letters
on the grid (word entry). Backspace now erases letters.
- Fixed the behavior of backspace in the clue and filename
entry windows (backspace now erases the first letter).
- Fixed keyboard buffer when exiting.
Changes in CCK 1.0 (June 5, 1993)
- First public shareware release.
CCK 1.2 page 6 Version 1.2
Benefits of Registration
Registering CCK will give you the ability to create from a
small 11x11 grid puzzle up to a whopping 23x23 grid
crossword puzzle (CCK shareware is limited to a 15x15 grid
ONLY). Registering also eliminates the three second delay
at the introduction screen. The two versions are otherwise
identical.
If you have the irresistible urge to register this software,
send $15 to me at the address listed in the order form and on
the introduction screen. Purchasers will receive their
registered version of CCK by mail in your choice of 3.5" or
5.25" low density disks. SHIPPING IS INCLUDED if you live in
the U.S.A.
If you are already registered (from a previous version of
CCK) in the registered users database, you are entitled to
free updates (excluding $4.00 for shipping, handling, and
packaging costs). Send $4.00 for your choice of 3.5" or
5.25" low density disks.
CCK 1.2 page 7 Version 1.2
Installation
If you're reading this, then you know how to unzip files.
Just place all the files in any subdirectory. Since CCK.EXE
is the only file that is absolutely required to run CCK,
you may delete the optional sample files CCK1.* and CCK2.*
if you wish, and make your own templates/games.
Then type CCK, hit the ENTER key, and the intro screen will
appear. After three seconds, type the ANY key. That's right,
the ANY key.
Press F1 at any time after the introduction screen (except
when loading and saving files) to invoke the context
sensitive help windows. Help screens are coded by color as
well: white for menu help, red for template help, blue for
word help, and green for clue help.
A mouse is not necessary to execute this program. However,
if you have a Microsoft-compatible mouse driver, CCK will
utilize the mouse. In most cases, the left button acts as
the ENTER key, and the right button acts as the ESC key.
CCK 1.2 page 8 Version 1.2
Template Menu
First, a definition of the term "template". The template is
the array of (white or black) boxes on which you will enter
your letters; think of it simply as an empty crossword
grid -- except that you get to construct the grid. Files
with the extension "CCT" are template files.
The first screen to greet you after the introduction screen
is the template screen. An empty 15x15 grid will appear at
left in the workspace, while at the bottom right is the
Template Menu.
The menu choices are:
Fill Squares
Load Template
Save Template
Game Menu
Quit
Fill Squares
This is where you construct your template. While the cursor
is on the grid, hit the ENTER key to make a white box black,
or hit ENTER again to make a black box white. You can use
the arrow keys to move the cursor around. Notice that as you
fill (or empty) a box, the box diagonally symmetrical to the
current one will also change. Hitting Escape takes you back
to the menu.
Load Template
This option loads a template which you or anyone else has
previously created (such as the ones included in this
package). Hitting Enter will prompt you for an eight letter
filename to which the extension CCT will be automagically
appended. Note: the shareware version does not load grids
other than the 15x15 size, though it is still quite a
respectable size.
CCK 1.2 page 9 Version 1.2
Template Menu (continued)
Save Template
Save Template will prompt you for a filename with the
extension CCT. This option will save your new or altered
template file, which you may use and reuse for building
new crossword puzzles.
Game Menu
This option takes you to the game menu (explained in detail
in the following section). Remember, you cannot return to
the template menu once you enter the game menu, so make sure
you save your template masterpiece before you proceed (that
is, if you want).
Quit
Ends the program.
CCK 1.2 page 10 Version 1.2
Game Menu
"Game" is somewhat of a misnomer, since you aren't playing a
game per se. The game screen is where you enter all the
letters, i.e. solutions, in the grid, as well as all the
clues that correspond to those letters. Files with the
extension "CCK" are game files.
The menu choices are:
Enter Words
Enter Clues
Load Game
Save Game
Print to File
Quit
Enter Words
Enter your solutions, letter by letter. You can control the
cursor with the arrow keys once you are on the grid, and
as you type the words, the cursor will automatically move
to the right or downwards. Press the TAB key if you want
to alternate between ACROSS cursor movement and DOWN
cursor movement. Spacebar erases a letter, and ESC takes you
back to the main game menu.
Enter Clues
Enter the clues for each corresponding across or down word.
Once on the grid, the arrow keys will again move the cursor
around on the grid, except now the movement is limited to
the first letter of each ACROSS or DOWN word (you'll see
what I mean). Again, hit the TAB key to alternate between
ACROSS clues and DOWN clues. Then type ENTER to enter your
clue (up to 54 spaces) in the pop-up window.
CCK 1.2 page 11 Version 1.2
Game Menu (continued)
Load Game
This option will prompt you for a "game" filename with the
extension CCK. It loads a game which you or anyone else has
previously created, including the sample games included in
this package. Note: the shareware version does not load
grids other than the 15x15 size.
Save Game
Save Game will prompt you for a filename with the extension
CCK. This will save your new or altered game file, which
you may then recall at a later time to finish constructing
the crossword puzzle, or send it electronically to your
friends and be the life of the party. The paperless cross-
word!
Print to File
Takes you to the Print menu, explained in next section.
Quit
Ends the program.
CCK 1.2 page 12 Version 1.2
Printing to Files
Again, "print" is a misnomer, since all you're doing is
printing to a file. I've found that drawing programs such as
CorelDRAW!(TM) (tested with version 2.0 and 3.0) import the
resulting files very nicely and in fact, any program which
imports Adobe Illustrator(TM) type EPS files _should_ work.
It should also print on PostScript(TM) printers and inter-
preters.
The menu choices are:
Print Grid
Print Solution
Print Clues
Return
Print Grid
Print Grid will prompt you for a filename with the extension
EPS. This option prints the grid (template) to
Encapsulated Postscript files, which, when printed to a
laser printer, look stunning.
Print Solution
This option will again prompt you for a filename with the
extension EPS, except that it will print the solution
as well as the template. Think of this as the upside down
"Answer on page 27" solutions. This is also saved as
Encapsulated Postscript, so you may want to save it as a
different name from the Grid EPS file (such as
cck1sol.eps).
Print Clues
The clues are saved as an ordinary text file, as opposed to
the previous two choices, which allows for easier text and
format manipulation. For example, you can import both
the Template EPS file and the Clues text file and format
them as you wish in any illustration program.
CCK 1.2 page 13 Version 1.2
Registration Form
___Cut_here_________________________________________________Cut_here___
Registration form for The Crossword Construction Kit 1.2.
Name: ________________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________
City/State ____________________________________ Zip __________
_____ CCK 1.2 on 5.25" DD disk $15.00
_____ CCK 1.2 on 3.5" DD disk $15.00
If you have registered for a previous version of CCK, you
are entitled to free updates, excluding shipping, handling
and packaging charges ($4.00 for either 5.25" or 3.5" DD
disks).
_____ Shipping and handling for CCK 1.2 $ 4.00
as update on 5.25" DD disk
_____ Shipping and handling for CCK 1.2 $ 4.00
as update on 3.5" DD disk
Please remit by check or money order (U.S bank or branch) to:
Kijin Jung
32633 Surrey Lane
Avon Lake, OH 44012
"Thank you for your support."
____________________________________________________________________________
CCK 1.2 page 14 Version 1.2
Future Versions
Hopefully, if I get enough response, I will be able to
release a significant upgrade to CCK, master's thesis
willing. There are a lot of features yet to be added, such
as the Crossword _Player_ Kit (solve puzzles created by
CCK on screen), asymmetrical crossword puzzle support,
a personal dictionary to which you can save your favorite
clues to words, a word search engine which can find a word
for you based on empty letter fields, an actual DOS printer
driver, and perhaps VGA graphics mode (much) later on.
If you have any suggestions, bug reports, or comments, you
can write me at the address below, or if you're on the net,
e-mail me.
Kijin Jung
32633 Surrey Lane
Avon Lake, OH 44012
Internet: kxj6@po.cwru.edu