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PC HELP-LINE's Professional CROSSWORD CREATOR Version 3.30 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Overview ................................ 1 II. System Requirements ..................... 3 III. Installing Crossword Creator ............ 4 IV. Starting Crossword Creator .............. 5 V. Using Crossword Creator ................. 6 The Screen .......................... 6 The Keyboard ........................ 6 VI. Crossword Creator Functions ............. 8 Main Menu ........................... 8 Design Puzzle ....................... 9 Solve Puzzle ........................ 11 Load/Save Puzzle .................... 12 Print Puzzle ........................ 13 VII. Customizing Crossword Creator ........... 14 The Configuration file (CONFIG.CWC) . 14 The Printer Definition files (*.CWP) 18 VIII. Data File Formats ....................... 25 The *.PUZ and *.SOL files ........... 25 The *.CLU files ..................... 25 The Help file (HELP.CWC) ............ 26 IX. The "CWC=" DOS Environment Variable ..... 27 X. Registering with PC HELP-LINE ........... 28 APPENDIX A - Printer Compatibility Issues APPENDIX B - List of Supported Printers PC HELP-LINE's Professional CROSSWORD CREATOR Version 3.30 I. Overview PC HELP-LINE's Professional Crossword Creator (CWC) can be used by anyone who enjoys designing or solving crossword puzzles. It provides the tools needed to layout a crossword puzzle on your computer's screen, define a short clue for each word in the puzzle, and save the puzzle to disk so you can use it again and again. In addition to the design features, CWC has a "solve" mode where anyone can work with a pre-defined puzzle. CWC shows the layout of the completed puzzle, but does not display the letters themselves. By viewing the clues for each word and supplying the proper letters, the puzzle can be solved in exactly the same way as a traditional crossword. As an educational tool, CWC can be used by teachers to create crossword puzzle exercises that build vocabulary, strengthen spelling skills, or test specific knowledge. For example, prior to a test on the "Civil War" an instructor could design a crossword containing important "key" words on the subject and give it to the students as a review exercise. Crossword puzzle fans will find Crossword Creator an entertaining alternative to traditional paper and pencil. Challenge friends to solve a puzzle you create yourself. CWC can save partial or complete puzzle solutions to disk so you can stop work at any time and pick up later where you left off. Create thematic puzzles like "BIRDS" or "MOVIES" for clubs and parties. CWC doesn't force you to design "real" crosswords that intersect perfectly; you can make your puzzle look any way you want. You'll probably think of many applications for Crossword Creator. Here's a short summary of CWC features: . Design custom crossword puzzles with up to 999 words and clues. . Create puzzles AUTOMATICALLY with CWC's AUTO-PLACE feature. You supply the words and the program fits them into the puzzle while you watch. A big time-saver. . Load and save named puzzle designs and solutions to disk. 1 . Modify puzzle designs at any time. CWC will adjust any existing solutions to match the format of the new puzzle. . Solve a pre-defined puzzle on your computer screen. CWC will check your solution against the correct solution on request and point out incorrect letters. . Print your puzzle designs in the traditional format, complete with numbered boxes and an indexed clue list. Print answer sheets, too. . Change the default typing direction when designing or solving a puzzle. Type left-to-right or top-to-bottom without fussing with the arrow keys and the cursor. . CWC keeps you constantly appraised of the current puzzle name, the number of letters in a particular word, the number of clues defined for the puzzle, the typing direction, and your position in the puzzle. . Context-sensitive HELP on every screen, including a complete list of the active function keys. HELP text may be modified or enhanced with any word processor so you can customize the HELP screens to your own needs. . CWC uses a very simple file format for its puzzles and clues. With some simple programming, you can produce puzzle files from other sources that are readable by CWC. . The maximum puzzle dimensions are 36 columns by 22 rows. . The maximum length of a word clue is 33 characters. . The maximum length of a puzzle name is 8 characters. 2 II. System Requirements - IBM PC or compatible computer - DOS 2.0 or higher, 256K minimum memory - color or monochrome monitor - one floppy disk drive; hard drive optional - printer optional; the best results are obtained from printers that support the IBM character set, but any printer may be used including dot-matrix, daisy-wheel, ink-jet, or laser (refer to "APPENDIX A" in this manual for a complete discussion on using printers with Crossword Creator). The PC version of Crossword Creator was written entirely in Microsoft QuickBASIC 4.0. The development work and system testing was conducted on both a Zenith Z-181 laptop and an XT-compatible computer running MS-DOS 3.2. The documentation was written on the same computers using Microsoft WORD 4.0 and printed to disk as an ASCII text file. The manual was published with Microsoft Windows, Windows Paint, and Aldus PageMaker. The author would like to thank the following individuals for their invaluable participation during the conceptualization and testing of Crossword Creator: Trina Wyley, Bob Johnson, Gary Hewitt, Larry Dickenson. Thanks to all. 3 III. Installing Crossword Creator Crossword Creator is distributed with an installation program that will help you setup a working disk. You should never use your original distribution disk for everyday work; keep it in a secure place as a backup. To run the installation program, type "CWINSTAL" at the DOS prompt and press ENTER. You will be asked a series of questions about which disk drives you'll be using and what kind of printer you have. When you finish answering these questions, CWINSTAL will copy the program files from the distribution disk to your working disk, and also build a CONFIG.CWC file for you. CWINSTAL does NOT do anything clandestine to your working disk. Crossword Creator is not copy-protected and does not require a "formal" installation before you can use it. If you prefer, you can simply copy the distribution files onto another floppy or to a directory on your hard disk. The essential files you need are CWC.EXE, CONFIG.CWC, and a printer definition file if you want to print your puzzles. If you want access to the HELP screens, you also need HELP.CWC. The following files should be present on your distribution disk: . CWCREGIS.TXT - registration/upgrade instructions . README.CWC - miscellaneous notes (please read!) . CWINSTAL.EXE - the installation program . CWC.EXE - the Crossword Creator program . CONFIG.CWC - a sample configuration file . HELP.CWC - the Crossword Creator HELP file . CWC330.DOC - disk-based documentation . *.CWP - printer definition files . *.PUZ - sample puzzle design files . *.CLU - sample clue files; paired with *.PUZ . *.SOL - sample puzzle solution files 4 IV. Starting Crossword Creator To start CWC, type "CWC" at the DOS prompt and press ENTER. CWC.EXE must be in the default directory unless you have a PATH command that allows DOS to find it. For those of you using floppies, the Crossword Creator disk may be removed after the program is loaded. This will mean, however, that CWC will not be able to access its HELP file since the text is read from disk each time the HELP function is requested. You may also supply a design and/or solution name on the DOS command line. Crossword Creator will load these files automatically on start-up. CWC [design name] [solution name] ex. CWC sports mysol#1 (loads SPORTS.PUZ and MYSOL#1.SOL) CWC cat (loads only CAT.PUZ) 5 V. Using Crossword Creator To use Crossword Creator most effectively, you must become familiar with how the software uses your computer's screen and keyboard. Considerable time and effort has been expended in developing a consistent "look and feel" for the program, making it very simple to learn and use. The Screen ---------- Each screen in Crossword Creator is divided into three distinct zones or "areas". Each area has a specific purpose and requires a specific kind of input, but its role never changes. These three screen zones are the HELP AREA, the INFO AREA, and the WORK AREA. The HELP AREA is the square block in the upper-right corner of the screen. It shows you what kind of input the program will accept from the keyboard at any particular moment. The INFO AREA is located just below the HELP AREA. It displays status information about the program and the puzzles you are manipulating. Crossword Creator will prompt you for input in this area, and will also display informational messages and errors here. The WORK AREA is the large, rectangular block that occupies the entire left-half of the screen. If you are working in the DESIGN PUZZLE or the SOLVE PUZZLE function, you will see your crosswords in this area. If you are on the MAIN MENU or working in either of the other two remaining functions, you will see a menu of options to choose from. The Keyboard ------------ In general, you communicate with CWC from the keyboard in three distinct ways: by selecting an option from a MENU, by typing letters in the WORK AREA, and by entering text in response to a PROMPT. Remember that the HELP AREA always displays the valid keystrokes that you may use. MENUS When a menu is displayed, you will see a box containing a list of options to choose from. One of these options will be hilited and enclosed by "> <" markers. To select an option, use the arrow keys to hilite your choice and press the ENTER key, or merely press the FIRST LETTER of the option's name. If the option you want is 6 already hilited, simply pressing ENTER will select it for you. If you decide that you do not want to select any of the options listed on the menu, press the ESC key. This will always take you back to the MAIN MENU or, if you are already on the MAIN MENU, end the CWC program, and return you to DOS. WORK AREA If you select the DESIGN or SOLVE function from the MAIN MENU, you will be presented with a puzzle and your cursor will be positioned in the WORK AREA. From this point you are free to type letters, space forward and backward, move the cursor with the arrow keys, or execute one of the special keystrokes listed in the HELP AREA. You cannot move the cursor out of the WORK AREA. Continue to work with the puzzle as long as you wish. To exit back to the MAIN MENU, press ESC. PROMPTS CWC will prompt you for input in many situations. Two examples are the text of puzzle clues you wish to input, and the names of puzzles or solutions you wish to load or save to disk. You can recognize a prompt in CWC by the "[ ]" markers surrounding your response. The length of your input will be limited to the spaces outlined by the markers. Sometimes CWC will pre-fill the prompt with a possible response. If this response is correct for what you want to do, merely press the ENTER key. If not, edit the response until you have what you want. When you press ENTER the program will accept your input and the prompt will disappear. If you press ESC in response to a prompt, CWC will assume that you do not want to continue; the prompt will be removed, and no action will be taken. 7 VI. Crossword Creator Functions Crossword Creator has four major functions: DESIGN PUZZLE, SOLVE PUZZLE, LOAD/SAVE PUZZLE, and PRINT PUZZLE. Each function is accessed by hiliting its name on the MAIN MENU and pressing ENTER. When you exit from a function by pressing ESC, the MAIN MENU is re-displayed. Pressing ESC from the MAIN MENU will end the program. Be sure to read the HELP files in CWC. Each functional area has at least one screen of additional information, and you can add more if you want to. Main Menu --------- The MAIN MENU is the starting point for all of your work in Crossword Creator. In many ways it is like a lobby with doors leading into four inner rooms. To accomplish any work you must go through one of the doors. Each "inner room" is self-contained and has its own specific capabilities, different from all the others. To move from room to room you must always pass through the "lobby", exiting from one door and entering another. Exiting the lobby itself signals the end of your work in Crossword Creator. CWC's four "rooms" are: DESIGN PUZZLE, SOLVE PUZZLE, LOAD/SAVE PUZZLE, and PRINT PUZZLE. As a puzzle designer, you will probably use each of these functions, in turn, to build, test, store, and publish your crosswords. In addition to these primary functions, the MAIN MENU offers three other useful tools: HELP, READ CONFIGURATION FILES, and EXECUTE DOS COMMANDS. These features are accessed by pressing the corresponding function key on your keyboard. The HELP feature is available throughout Crossword Creator as an aid in problem solving, and as a tutorial on the program. Each screen in CWC has HELP text associated with it, and you can modify or enhance that text to include your own notes and thoughts. Refer to "The Help file" section of this manual for a more detailed discussion. READ CONFIGURATION FILES is provided for situations when you need to change one or more of CWC's configuration values while the program is running. These values are read automatically, once, when you first start the program and cannot be altered from inside Crossword Creator. However, if you use a memory-resident utility or a similar program to change your startup configuration files "on the fly", you can use this routine to read them into Crossword Creator again. Refer to "The Configuration file" section of this manual for an extended explanation of the ways you can customize Crossword Creator. 8 EXECUTE DOS COMMANDS allows you to suspend Crossword Creator temporarily while you issue some commands from the DOS prompt. CWC remains in memory at all times so you may not be able to run another large program, but you can certainly issue common DOS commands like "DIR" and "COPY". To get back into Crossword Creator, issue the special DOS command "EXIT". This will place you back at the MAIN MENU with everything exactly as you left it. IMPORTANT: EXECUTE DOS COMMANDS loads another copy of COMMAND.COM from your ORIGINAL BOOT DISK. If you have removed your boot disk to run CWC, you must replace it before pressing F4. A better alternative is to INSTALL Crossword Creator onto a bootable floppy and use THAT disk to boot your system. If you press ESC from the MAIN MENU, you will end Crossword Creator and return to the DOS prompt. If, however, you try to end the program without saving a puzzle that you have been working on, CWC will display a warning message and give you the option of returning to the program. Design Puzzle ------------- The DESIGN PUZZLE function is where you will probably spend most of your time in Crossword Creator. All of your tools for puzzle-building are accessed through this screen; word placement, clue editing, etc. When designing a crossword, remember that your primary tasks are laying out the puzzle itself and defining a clue for each of the words in the puzzle. Crossword Creator provides everything you need to accomplish this. Initially, you are presented with a blank WORK AREA (unless you have loaded an existing puzzle design to work with). This is where you will layout your puzzle. The only valid characters you can use are the ALPHABET letters and the "pseudo letter". Blank spaces will translate into darkened, unused blocks when the puzzle is printed. As you type letters into the puzzle, you will notice that the cursor moves along with you, just like in a word processor. One big difference, however, is that you can type in BOTH DIRECTIONS in Crossword Creator -- horizontally AND vertically. The PLUS KEY (+) is a toggle that sets the default typing direction; each time you press it the typing direction changes from "ACROSS" to "DOWN", or from "DOWN" to "ACROSS". Cursor movement is consistent relative to the typing direction. 9 Once you have some words placed in the puzzle, you'll need to define clues for each of them. Simply place the cursor on any letter of a word and press either F3 or F4, depending on the orientation of that word in the puzzle. CWC will hilite the word you've indicated by causing its letters to blink in the puzzle. You will also be prompted to type in a clue for that word. Each time you select a word in the puzzle, CWC checks to see if a clue has already been defined for it. If so, it redisplays that clue, allows you to edit it, and REPLACES the old clue with the new one. If no clue exists, you are presented with a blank input area and your new clue is INSERTED where there was none before. To DELETE an existing clue, blank out the entire input area. If you change your mind about editing a clue, press ESC; the prompt will be removed and no action will be taken. As you move around in the puzzle defining clues, you may find it faster to jump directly from word to word instead of using the cursor keys. F5 and F6 provide this short-cut method of getting around inside the puzzle. Pressing either key will automatically move the cursor to the next sequential work in the puzzle, relative to the orientation you select. When the next word is located, you are automatically prompted for its corresponding clue. When you have supplied clues for all of the words in the puzzle, you will probably want to review your work by pressing F9. First, clue index numbers are assigned to each word in the puzzle. These are the reference numbers that show up in the puzzle boxes when your puzzle is printed. Next, all the puzzle words and their accompanying clues are displayed. Check carefully that each clue makes sense and is worded exactly as you want. If you have forgotten to define a clue for any word in the puzzle, CWC will flash a "*** missing clue ***" message as a reminder for you to insert one. The last tool in DESIGN PUZZLE is called AUTO-PLACEMENT. This is a useful, time-saving feature that allows you to build crosswords AUTOMATICALLY using words that you supply. When you press F7 or F8, CWC prompts you for a word that you want to place into the puzzle. When you press ENTER, a pointer will appear in the border of the WORK AREA and begin moving along the edge of the puzzle. This indicates that Crossword Creator is searching for a place to fit in your word. 10 In order for your word to be AUTO-PLACED, two conditions must be met. First, your new word MUST intersect with at least one other existing word. The only exception is when you place the first word into a blank puzzle. In this case, your word is placed in the center of the puzzle. Second, no other "side effect" or nonsense words must be created as a consequence of placing your word in the puzzle. This insures that your puzzle will not contain any words that you did not EXPLICITLY put into it. Crossword Creator will automatically place your new word in the first puzzle position that meets the above conditions. If no position meets the criteria, CWC displays an error, but remembers the word you typed. This saves you the trouble of keying it back in if you want to try and place that word again later, or in the other direction. Solve Puzzle ------------ The SOLVE PUZZLE function allows you to work with a pre-designed crossword. It is intended to be an alternative to traditional puzzle solving done with pencil and paper, and has several advantages over that method simply because of the electronic medium. The most important aspect of SOLVE PUZZLE is that it allows you to keep multiple versions of the same solution and, obviously, it is much easier to change your answers on the screen than it is to erase them from paper. In many ways, SOLVE PUZZLE operates exactly like DESIGN PUZZLE, except that you cannot see what the actual puzzle looks like; all you have to work with is the outline of the crossword and the puzzle clues. To solve the puzzle you must move the cursor from word to word in the WORK AREA, view the clues associated with each word, and type in the letters of the words you believe to be the correct responses. When you have completed your solution, press F9 to check your answers. If you have any incorrect letters, CWC will cause them to blink in the puzzle. If not, you've solved the puzzle correctly. All of the clue-editing function keys work exactly the same as they do in DESIGN PUZZLE, except that they only DISPLAY the clues -- you cannot change them. Cursor movement is the same also, except that you cannot type letters outside of the puzzle outline. 11 When loading puzzle designs and solutions into Crossword Creator, always remember that the controlling member of the pair is the current "design". You cannot work on a "solution" unless a "design" is also present. Another thing to keep in mind is that the puzzle outline you see will ALWAYS conform to the current "design", not the current "solution", per se. So, if you accidentally load a puzzle solution that doesn't match the layout of the current design, things might look pretty funny. Load/Save Puzzle ---------------- The LOAD/SAVE PUZZLE function lets you get your puzzle design and solutions onto and off of disk storage. The LOAD/SAVE options are controlled by a menu and you must select the operation that you want to perform, just like you did on the MAIN MENU. Your interaction with the program is the same, regardless of the option you choose. When you select a LOAD/SAVE option, you are prompted for either the name of a puzzle DESIGN or the name of a puzzle SOLUTION, depending on your choice. The name you input is used as the primary part of the DOS filename that corresponds to your puzzle. Do not try to specify the three-character file extension; CWC will use the proper extension when it communicates with DOS. If you would prefer to select the name from a list of available puzzles instead of typing it explicitly, respond to the prompt by pressing the UP ARROW or the DOWN ARROW. Crossword Creator will display a list of all the puzzles on the disk and allow you to choose one by hiliting it with the ARROW KEYS and then pressing ENTER. 12 Once you have supplied a puzzle name, CWC will execute the LOAD/SAVE operation you requested and also report any errors, should they occur, in transferring the data between the program and the disk. You will likewise be informed if the operation completes successfully. Print Puzzle ------------ The PRINT PUZZLE function allows you to produce professional quality crosswords with your printer. Simply select one of the print options from the menu. The two output formats are complimentary; the first one prints the actual puzzle, and the second prints the solution. As Crossword Creator formats and prints your puzzle design, messages will appear in the HELP AREA and the INFO AREA showing the program's progress. Also, depending on the options in your printer definition file, CWC may pause periodically to allow you to adjust your printer. For example, if your printer does not use continuous forms or a paper feeder, you will need to insert additional pages by hand. Do not take your printer off-line during these pauses; the program will wait patiently until you tell it to continue printing. Refer to "The Printer Definition files (*.CWP)" section of this manual for more information on how to use your printer with Crossword Creator. 13 VII. Customizing Crossword Creator Crossword Creator now offers the user a great deal of power, flexibility, and control over how the program looks and operates. In earlier versions, the degree of customization was not extensive and it was convenient to "build-in" a handful of options when the program was written. With large programs, however, it is much handier to use an EXTERNAL source to define customization options. This source is often referred to as a "configuration file". The Configuration file (CONFIG.CWC) ----------------------------------- If you use a "CONFIG.SYS" file when you boot DOS, you are already familiar with this concept and, in fact, Crossword Creator's configuration file and DOS's configuration file are exactly alike in principle. They differ only slightly with respect to the number of recognizable keywords, and in the syntax of the commands. Each keyword that CWC recognizes in the configuration file provides some information that the program needs in order to operate correctly. In some cases, the program contains a default value for the keyword if it is not supplied, and in other cases you must explicitly provide the information. This concept is also similar to DOS -- in most cases you will need to supply keywords only for the options you wish to change; the program will supply default values for the options that are NOT changed. Now, we need some definitions. A "keyword" is the name of a configuration option that CWC recognizes. The keywords must be spelled exactly as they are documented or the program will not recognize them as keywords. Each keyword must end with an equal sign ("="), and may not contain any intervening blanks. Keywords are case-insensitive, meaning you may use capital letters, lower-case letters, or a combination of both. A "keyword value" is the information you are supplying that corresponds to a particular keyword. Crossword Creator will use this NEW information instead of the default value that is coded in the program. Keyword values must begin with a slash ("/"), and are also case-insensitive. They must be typed to the RIGHT of a keyword, and they must not contain any intervening blanks. 14 Each line in the configuration file may contain a comment, be completely blank, or contain ONE keyword followed by its keyword value. Comments may also be typed to the RIGHT of a keyword value on the same line as long as there is at least one intervening blank between the value and the comment. A comment line is, by definition, any line that does not contain one of the recognizable keywords. You will probably find it helpful to document your configuration file by using comment lines. For example, these lines would be considered valid in a Crossword Creator configuration file: PuzDirName=/c:\puzzles PRINTERDEF= /IBMGRAPH maxpuzclues=/50 These lines, however, are invalid and would be ignored: PuzDirName =/c:\puzzles (intervening blank before the "=") PRINTERDEF=/ IBMGRAPH (intervening blank before the value) maxpuzclues=50 (keyword value does not begin with "/") As you can see, each keyword is meant to supply a particular kind of information so the NATURE of each keyword value is different, but the general syntax rules apply to all the keywords and their values. On the next page is a list of all the keywords that may be placed in the Crossword Creator configuration file, the nature and/or range of their respective values, and an example of how each might be used. 15 Keywords used in the CONFIG.CWC file: MenuFore= The values for these keywords define the WorkFore= foreground colors used in the program. HelpFore= InfoFore= Valid values are numbers between 0 and 15. PromFore= WarnFore= 0 = black 1 = blue 2 = green 3 = cyan 4 = red 5 = magenta 6 = yellow 7 = grey (adding 8 to the above values produces a brighter shade of the same color) MenuBack= The values for these keywords define the WorkBack= background colors used in the program. HelpBack= Valid values are numbers between 0 and 7. example: MENUFORE=/14 MENUBACK=/2 HELP, WORK, and INFO refer to the colors used in those major screen areas. The PROM color is used for the input area of prompts and for help screens. The WARN color is used to display a warning message when unsaved puzzles are about to be overlaid or lost. Notice that INFO, PROM, and WARN have no background values. These colors are always printed with a background color of 0 (black). default: CGA/EGA MONOCHROME ------------ ---------- MenuFore 1 (blue) 0 (black) MenuBack 7 (grey) 7 (grey) WorkFore 15 (white) 7 (grey) WorkBack 1 (blue) 0 (black) HelpFore 15 (white) 7 (grey) HelpBack 3 (cyan) 0 (black) InfoFore 13 (magenta) 7 (grey) PromFore 14 (yellow) 7 (grey) WarnFore 12 (red) 7 (grey) 16 PrinterDef= Names the printer definition file to use. Do not specify the ".CWP" suffix. example: PRINTERDEF=/IBMGRAPH default: none (cannot print puzzles) PuzDirName= The path name where puzzles are to be loaded from and saved to. example: PUZDIRNAME=/C:\PUZZLES default: none (use current directory) MaxPuzClues= Specifies the maximum number of clues that can be defined for a puzzle. NOTE: Unlike the other CONFIG keywords, the value of MaxPuzClues CANNOT be changed by re-reading CONFIG.CWC. To allocate a different value, end the program, modify CONFIG.CWC, and start CWC again. Valid values are 1 to 999. example: MAXPUZCLUES=/100 default: 200 17 The Printer Definition files (*.CWP) ------------------------------------ In the same way that the configuration file allows certain attributes of Crossword Creator to be controlled externally, printer definition files allow the program to support a much broader range of output devices than was possible in earlier versions. If you have used a word processor, you are probably familiar with printer definition files or printer "drivers". The concept is simple. The application program is not written to support a SPECIFIC set of printers because the addition of each new model would require a change to the program itself. Instead, the program uses a GENERIC interface and the specifics of how to use each particular printer are contained in the external printer definition files. For example, suppose a program like Crossword Creator wants to print some numbers as superscripts. To accomplish this, the program needs to know what combination of special characters it must send to the printer in order to "turn on" that particular feature. To learn what that combination is, the program reads the printer definition file, locates the sequence of characters that will enable superscript printing, and sends those characters to the printer. From then on, every printable character that the printer receives will be printed as a superscript. Of course, the program may not want to leave the printer in superscript mode forever so it will also have to find out how to "turn off" superscript printing. And how to turn bold facing on and off. And how to control spacing. And what character set to use. And on and on and on. As you can see, the information needed to effectively drive a printer can be quite extensive. Word processors require fairly complex printer definition files, often so complex that mere mortals like us cannot even read them, let alone create new ones from scratch. Fortunately, Crossword Creator's printer information requirements are not so demanding and even a novice should be able to get the hang of them with a little practice. You can think of CWC's printer definition files as "configuration files" for printers. The rules for creating them and the syntax of the commands are exactly the same as those described for CONFIG.CWC in the previous section. The only differences are the names of the recognizable keywords, and the nature of the keyword values. 18 Take a deep breath now. This next part may get a little technical so if you feel yourself getting in over your head, don't panic. Creating a printer definition file requires a good understanding of the ASCII character set, the various notations by which those characters can be represented (particularly the decimal notation), and, of course, knowledge of your particular printer's features and corresponding control sequences. It is beyond the scope of this document to explain these concepts fully. If they are not familiar to you, you may wish to refer to the documentation or owner's manual for your printer, your DOS manual, a BASIC language manual that discusses the "CHR$" function, or a book on microcomputer concepts. Crossword Creator already comes with a full complement of printer definition files and it is likely that your printer is already supported. The files themselves are fully commented and are excellent examples of what can be done if you ever want to customize the original definitions, or need to create a driver for a printer that is not currently supported. A list of supported printers can be found in the "APPENDIX B" section of this manual. If you are a registered owner of Crossword Creator and have a printer that is not yet supported, PCHL will be happy to create a printer definition file for you if you send us a copy of the documentation that explains the printer's control sequences. Ready now? Here we go. In a printer definition file, each keyword value describes the sequence of characters that must be sent to the printer in order to invoke the function described by the keyword. Each character in the sequence is represented by a three-digit number between 000 and 255 that corresponds to the ASCII decimal value of that character. Each three-digit number must be preceded by a slash ("/"), and there may be no intervening blanks between any of the numbers and slashes in the sequence. Many spreadsheet programs use a similar method to send a "setup string" to the printer prior to actually printing the individual cells. If you think of each command in the definition file as an optional "setup string", you will get the idea. 19 Here are some valid lines that might be found in a printer definition file: BoxTLCor=/218 SpecialPrintON=/027/069 SpecialPrintOFF=/027/070 SpacingNormal=/027/065/012 Let's look at the last example in detail. It is derived from the documentation on Epson printers that describes how to set vertical spacing in increments of 1/72 of an inch. To set this kind of spacing, the manual instructs you to send the ESCAPE character, followed by a capital "A", followed by a character whose decimal value represents the number of "n/72" of an inch that you want for vertical spacing. By referring to a table of ASCII values, we see that the ESCAPE character is represented by a decimal value of 27, and that a capital "A" is a decimal 65. In this example we are defining the sequence that will return the printer to its normal line spacing of 6 lines per inch, which is equivalent to 1/6 or 12/72 of an inch. Voile! We have the information necessary to construct the sequence. Every keyword value in the printer definition file is constructed in the same way. Some sequences will require few characters, some will require many. It all depends on the scheme that was used by the manufacturer of the printer, and that is the beauty of external printer drivers. The program does not have to know EXPLICITLY how to talk to every kind of printer; but it knows IMPLICITLY by referring to the information contained in the printer definition file. On the next page is a list of all the keywords that may be placed in a Crossword Creator printer definition file, an explanation of their use, and whether the keyword is required or optional. 20 PrintDest= This keyword specifies the device where printed output will be sent. It may be a printer port, a communications port, a disk file, etc. Note that this keyword is an exception in that the keyword value is NOT an ASCII character sequence. It is the name of the device or file to which Crossword Creator will direct its print output. - REQUIRED - example: PRINTDEST=/LPT1 PRINTDEST=/C:\CWC\SPORTS.PRT FormFeed= This keyword specifies whether the printer uses continuous forms, or requires manual paper feed. - OPTIONAL - Valid values are "C" (continuous) or "M" (manual). example: FORMFEED=/M default: C MaxPrintLines= This keyword specifies the maximum number of lines that may be printed on a single page. When "manual paper feed" has been indicated by the "FormFeed=" keyword, CWC pauses after printing this many lines to allow a new page of paper to be setup in the printer. - OPTIONAL - Valid values are 1 to 168. example: MAXPRINTLINES=/45 default: 60 21 SeparateCluePage= This keyword indicates whether or not to send a form feed to the printer just prior to printing the puzzle clues. - OPTIONAL - Valid values are "Y" (print the clues on a separate page) or "N" (print the puzzle and the clues on the same page). example: SEPARATECLUEPAGE=/Y default: N PuzzlePrint= This sequence is sent ONE TIME at the beginning of the print job. It is handy for selecting special fonts or printer modes that will be in effect for the entire puzzle. - OPTIONAL - CluePrint= This sequence is sent ONE TIME just prior to the printing of puzzle clues. This would be a good place to change fonts if necessary. - OPTIONAL - EndPrint= This sequence is sent ONE TIME as the very last sequence in the print job. You might want to send a printer RESET code or a FORMFEED character here. - OPTIONAL - SpecialNumbersON= This pair of sequences is used just before and SpecialNumbersOFF= immediately after printing a row of clue numbers in the puzzle. They were intended primarily for selecting SUPERSCRIPT mode or some similar font that could print small numbers. - OPTIONAL - SpecialPrintON= This pair of sequences is used just before the SpecialPrintOFF= print job starts, and immediately after it ends. They were intended primarily for selecting a global printing attribute such as BOLDFACE or NEAR LETTER QUALITY. - OPTIONAL - 22 SpacingWholeBox= This trio of sequences is tricky, and they must be SpacingTHalfBox= defined precisely to achieve the highest quality SpacingBHalfBox= output. The WHOLEBOX value should set vertical line spacing so that successive print lines will have no gaps or "white space" between them, nor will they overlap. The tops and bottoms of the characters should just barely touch. This will ensure that the lines and other boundaries of the puzzles will look continuous when they are printed. The THALFBOX and BHALFBOX values also set vertical spacing, and the SUM of their spacing increments should ALWAYS be EQUAL to the number of increments selected by WHOLEBOX. Usually they will each be exactly half of the incremental value specified by WHOLEBOX, but some character sets (like IBM's) work better if they are slightly out of balance. - REQUIRED - SpacingClues= This sequence sets the vertical line spacing to be used when printing the puzzle clues. - OPTIONAL - SpacingNormal= This sequence sets the vertical line spacing to the value you want the printer to remain in at the end of the print job. You may not have to use this sequence if you always RESET the printer with the ENDPRINT value. - OPTIONAL - 23 BoxTLCor= The rest of these sequences define the character BoxTRCor= set that will be used to print the puzzle boxes. BoxBLCor= Each keyword corresponds to a ONE CHARACTER BoxBRCor= component that is part of a puzzle box. BoxTopBot= Therefore, each value should contain a single BoxSide= ASCII decimal value. BoxLTee= The IBM character set has a very rich collection BoxRTee= of box-drawing characters and you will get the BoxTTee= best results with printers that support that BoxBTee= standard. Other printers will have to use the BoxCross= plain ASCII characters "+", "|", and "-" to draw the puzzle boxes. BoxLFill= BoxRFill= The first four CORNER characters are used to draw BoxCFill= the extreme corners of a complete puzzle. The next two characters are used for the TOP/BOTTOM and SIDES of individual puzzle boxes. The TEE characters are used instead of CORNERS where two boxes intersect on the edge of a puzzle, and the CROSS character serves the same purpose in the middle of a puzzle where four boxes intersect. The FILL characters are used to fill in puzzle boxes that contain no letters. The LEFT fill overprints the left boundary of a box, the RIGHT fill overprints the right boundary, and two CENTER fill characters are printed side-by-side between the left and right boundaries. - REQUIRED - Now, was that so bad? 24 VIII. Data File Formats CWC uses very simple data file formats so advanced users can manipulate them with word processors, or other software, external to the program. All of these files are stored as pure ASCII text. If you edit any of the files with a word processor, be sure to save them as NON-DOCUMENT to eliminate any formatting characters. The *.PUZ and *.SOL files ------------------------- CWC puzzle files are stored simply as an image of the puzzle itself. Each file contains 22 records (one for each puzzle row). Each record contains 38 characters; a beginning quote, 36 letters (one for each puzzle column), and an ending quote. ex. "PUZZLE AUTOMOBILE AIRPLANE ELEPHANTS" "I E O E O " "T B YACHT ORDER N " . . . etc. The *.CLU files --------------- The first record in a CWC clue file is a header record. It contains the puzzle name and a count of the total number of clues defined in the puzzle. Following the header is a record for EACH clue. A clue record contains the word itself, followed by the text of the clue for that word. The number of clue records MUST be exactly equal to the count stored in the header record. The character fields are, again, delimited by quotes and separated by a comma. ex. "CATS",3 "YARN","Cats _ball it up_" "DOG","worst enemy" "PURR","familiar feline sound" Notice that if your clue text contains imbedded quotes, you must represent them as UNDERSCORE characters in the file. They will be translated into real quotes when the file is loaded. The words themselves, obviously, cannot be longer than the maximum dimensions of an actual puzzle. The clue text can be no longer than 33 characters. 25 CWC makes no distinction between ACROSS words and DOWN words in its file format. Therefore, if the same word is defined in both directions in the puzzle, it CANNOT have two different clues. The HELP file (HELP.CWC) ------------------------ The format for this file is slightly different than the puzzle files, but it is still quite simplistic. Each record in the file consists of two logical parts: a "HELP pointer" code, and a line of HELP text. The first three characters of a HELP record must contain one of the unique HELP pointer codes. Each pointer code is directly related to one of the screens in CWC. Thus, when HELP is activated, the routine retrieves all of the records in HELP.CWC that have the corresponding pointer code. Starting in column four of each record is the actual HELP text. The maximum length of a HELP line is 70 characters, so the maximum length of a HELP record is 73 characters. ex. M00This screen is your "guidance system" for CWC. From M00here you can select one of the puzzle functions and M00begin working in that section. If you wish to enhance the HELP information provided with CWC, simply load HELP.CWC into your word processor or text editor and make the changes you want. Make sure, however, that all of the HELP records for a particular HELP pointer are PHYSICALLY CONTIGUOUS in the file because the HELP routine will stop reading records as soon as the pointer code changes. CWC will automatically present the HELP text 20 lines at a time, so the information can be as lengthy or as brief as you want. Here are the HELP pointer codes and their corresponding screens: M00 - MAIN MENU D00 - DESIGN PUZZLE S00 - SOLVE PUZZLE L00 - LOAD/SAVE PUZZLE P00 - PRINT PUZZLE 26 IX. The "CWC=" DOS Environment Variable DOS maintains an area in memory called the "environment" that can be used as a kind of reference guide by application programs like Crossword Creator. You can see the information stored in the environment by issuing the DOS command "SET". Some things you might notice are the "COMSPEC" variable which contains the path name to COMMAND.COM, and the "PATH" variable which contains the path name you specified in your last PATH command. Crossword Creator's variable name is "CWC" and it is used to specify the directory path name where the program should look for CONFIG.CWC, HELP.CWC, and the printer definition files (*.CWP). Without this directory name, Crossword Creator will only look for these files in the current directory. If you use only floppy disks this may be of no consequence. But on a hard disk system the Crossword Creator program may be stored in a different directory than its supportive files. Or, for example, you may choose to define more than one CONFIG.CWC file and place them in different sub-directories. The use of the DOS environment variable makes it easy for Crossword Creator to find its supportive files when they are not in the same directory from which you start the program. To set the variable, issue the DOS command: SET CWC=[path name] In place of "[path name]", type the name of the path where CONFIG.CWC, HELP.CWC, and any printer definition files (*.CWP) are located. Make sure there are no intervening blanks anywhere except the required one between "SET" and "CWC=". example: SET CWC=C:\PROGRAMS\CROSSWRD To remove the variable from the environment issue the SET command without any characters after the equal sign: SET CWC= The use of Crossword Creator's environment variable is entirely optional. It is provided merely as an aid in tailoring the program to your needs. You may want to refer to your DOS manual for more information on using environment variables and the SET command. 27 X. Registering with PC HELP-LINE PC HELP-LINE believes that no one should have to pay for software before they try it out for themselves. If you like Crossword Creator, and want to use it on a regular basis, please take time to register the software with PCHL. Registration establishes you as a client of PC HELP-LINE and entitles you to discounts on future upgrades, news about upcoming products, technical support, and other privileges. Comments and suggestions for enhancements are always welcome at PCHL. This software was created for YOU, and your input will help improve it. If you have an idea for a new feature or a new way to do something, or even if you find a bug (gasp!), PCHL wants to hear about it. Thanks for your continuing support of PC HELP-LINE products. PC HELP-LINE is located at: 11 Tennessee, Suite 117 E Redlands, CA 92373 (714) 792-4980 Technical support hours: M-F 6:00pm - 10:00pm PST S-S 10:00am - 2:00pm PST 28 APPENDIX A - Printer Compatibility Issues Crossword Creator's printing capabilities are quite impressive, and with the right printer you can produce professional quality crosswords. Inevitably, though, someone calls for help when their particular printer won't produce the sharp, square boxes and lines that they see in the example printouts included with their subscription materials. In order to explain this situation, we need to understand some facts about PC printers. When a printer manufacturer advertises a particular model as "IBM compatible", they usually mean that the printer recognizes the same control code sequences as IBM printers. For most word processing and spreadsheet applications this is quite sufficient because only the standard alphanumeric ASCII characters are required by these kinds of programs. However, letters and numbers are not the only symbols printers are capable of reproducing. Which brings us to another aspect of printer compatibility: character sets. When IBM introduced the original PC, they endowed it with a special, proprietary character set that included a nice set of line and box drawing characters, and programmers used them to good advantage in their software to spruce up their screens. Crossword Creator uses them to draw the frame boundaries around the puzzle work area, for example. All "IBM compatible" computers can reproduce these characters on the screen, BUT NOT ALL PRINTERS CAN REPRODUCE THEM ON PAPER. That's the rub. Your printer may be IBM "control code" compatible, but not IBM "character set" compatible. Now as far as Crossword Creator is concerned, character set compatibility is much more important than control code compatibility. A printer definition file can be put together for any printer, no matter how complex its control codes are (witness the HP LaserJet's definition files), but if your printer can't reproduce the IBM character set, you just won't be able to produce the best possible output. Which is NOT to say that you can't use your printer AT ALL. You CAN use the standard ASCII characters "|", "-", and "+" to draw boxes, they'll just produce rougher looking output. In fact, drivers are provided that use only the standard ASCII characters. There are also drivers for printers that don't support EITHER level of IBM compatibility, like the DIABLO 630 standard for daisy-wheels. And some printers, like the Epson RX-80, even have a DIFFERENT set of box drawing characters from IBM's, but Crossword Creator can still use them effectively to print good looking puzzles. The point is, CWC can use ANY characters that your printer knows how to draw, but it can't give IBM CHARACTER SET COMPATIBILITY to a printer that doesn't already have it. If you're in doubt about your printer's capabilities, try this simple test. Startup Crossword Creator, and when you get to the copyright/intro screen, press Shift-PrtSc on your keyboard. If the Crossword Creator logo prints out just like it appears on the screen, your printer is IBM "character set" compatible. If you get italic characters or something else besides the double-outline boxes, you'll probably have to use the standard ASCII characters to draw your puzzles. Hopefully, this discussion has cleared things up for most of you; perhaps it has even opened your eyes about some issues you were not even aware of. In any case, be conscious of these points when choosing a CWC printer definition file for use with your own printer, and consult your owner's manual for specific information about its features and capabilities. APPENDIX B - List of Supported Printers Crossword Creator comes with several pre-defined printer definition files. Here is a list of those files and what printers they should be used with: DABLO630 -Use with any printer that supports Diablo 630 control sequences. Most daisy-wheel printers support this standard. This type of printer produces the roughest output because only the standard ASCII character set is supported. EPASCII -Use with any Epson printer that does NOT support the IBM character set. This includes the MX-80, FX-80, and early FX-86 models. This output is similar to that produced by the Diablo 630. EPFX86E -Use with the Epson FX-86e, FX-286e, and other models that support the IBM character set, but still use Epson control sequences. EPRX80 -Use with the Epson RX-80. This model does not EPRXCOND support the IBM character set, but it DOES have EPRXFILE a graphic character set of its own that is very similar to IBM's and still draws good boxes. IBMASCII -Use with any printer that supports IBM control codes, but not the IBM character set. IBMGRAPH -Use with the IBM Graphics Printer, IBM IBMGCOND Proprinter, or any printer that supports IBM IBMGFILE control codes AND the IBM character set. HPLJETII -Use with the HP LaserJet II or compatible. This HPLJCOMP printer has more complex control sequences, but it does support the IBM character set. You can produce professional-looking crossword puzzles with this printer.