&CWH01**** Crossword Creator Quick Start **** Welcome to Crossword Creator. This help screen is a quick overview and a mini-tutorial. Even if you are totally unfamiliar with the program, you should be able to follow these basic directions. Crossword Creator's user-interface is consistent and intuitive. Once you learn a few simple keyboard (or mouse) operations, you'll be able to apply them everywhere in the program. For the rest of this discussion, we'll assume that you'll be using the keyboard to operate the program. If you have a mouse and use it frequently with other programs, Crossword Creator's operation will already be familiar. You should think of CWC as a specialized word-processor, designed specifically for making crossword puzzles. The major difference is the ability to type VERTICALLY, as well as HORIZONTALLY. The program's major functions are accessed through the MENU SYSTEM. Most of these functions display a DIALOG BOX that will prompt you for additional information. MESSAGE BOXES may also appear when errors occur, or when CWC wants to inform you of something. To design a puzzle, you must complete two major tasks: typing the puzzle words as they would appear in the completed crossword (the "solution"), and providing a clue for each of those words (up to 4 lines per clue). To type in words, simply press the letter keys on the keyboard as you would in a word-processor. The PLUS ("+") key toggles the typing direction. To enter clues, place the CURSOR on any letter of a word and press Ctrl+C. A dialog box will accept your text. The menu system is composed of two parts: the ACTION BAR, and the PULL-DOWN menus. The ACTION BAR is displayed along the top line of the screen. Each word in the action bar is associated with a group of related functions. To select a group, press the ALT key together with the CAPITALIZED LETTER in the action bar word. For example, to select the "File" group, press Alt+F. When an action bar group is selected, a PULL-DOWN menu will appear. Each word in the pull-down menu is associated with a specific function to be performed. To select a function, press the CAPITALIZED LETTER in the pull-down word. To execute it, press ENTER. For example, to perform the "Print" function, press P, then ENTER. If a pull-down word ends with "...", it means that a DIALOG BOX will follow. A dialog box may contain any number of objects, depending on what kind of information is needed by that function. Some of the objects you may see are INPUT BOXES, CHECK BOXES, LIST BOXES, RANGE BARS, RADIO BUTTONS, and PUSH BUTTONS. INPUT BOXES accept text that you type. CHECK BOXES allow you to turn "options" on and off by pressing the SPACEBAR. LIST BOXES and RADIO BUTTONS let you make a single choice from a set of available choices by pressing ENTER or the SPACEBAR. RANGE BARS use the LEFT/RIGHT ARROW keys to specify a value. PUSH BUTTONS cause some action to be taken on the dialog box as a whole when you press ENTER or the SPACEBAR. All dialog boxes and message boxes will contain at least one push button. The word inside the push button indicates the action that will be taken when you "press" it with the ENTER key or the SPACEBAR. For example, "OK" would accept your input (or acknowledgement) and complete the function, where "CANCEL" would simply exit without doing anything at all. Pressing ESC is equivalent to pressing the "CANCEL" button. As you work within a dialog box, use the TAB/BACKTAB keys to hilite individual objects (for MESSAGE BOXES, use the LEFT/RIGHT ARROW keys). A hilited object is said to "have the INPUT FOCUS", meaning that your keyboard input will affect it. Only one object at a time can have the INPUT FOCUS, so you will have to move it from object to object. When you are finished with all of the objects, press one of the PUSH BUTTONS at the bottom of the dialog box. The F1 function key is the universal HELP key. You can display CONTEXT-SENSITIVE help information for any dialog box by pressing F1. If you want to browse through the entire HELP file, press Shift+F1 to display a LIST BOX of help topics, then select the subject you want to read about. The ESC key is the universal QUIT key. Pressing it will get you out of any dialog or help screen, except MESSAGE BOXES which can only be dismissed by pressing one of the push buttons. Read the "CONFIGURATION" help topic, next. &CWH02Features And System Requirements FEATURES -------- - Windowed, "industry-standard" user-interface featuring pull-down menus, dialog boxes, and mouse support. - COMPLETE documentation available on-line. Context-sensitive HELP. No manuals required. - Automated puzzle design using an advanced "auto-placement" function that helps you position words in the puzzle. Word placement can be "freeform" or constrained to a pre-defined "template". - WORDFIND interface. Search dictionary files for words with unique letter-patterns. Invaluable for serious puzzle designers. - Foreign language support. Custom "language" files can be translated into any language that uses the PC's character set and alphabet. - Prints puzzles in the traditional format, complete with numbered boxes and an indexed clue list. Solutions, too. Supports dot-matrix, daisy-wheel, ink-jet, and laser printers. - Desktop publishing utility, CWDTP.EXE, for creating "plain ASCII" puzzle files, suitable for importing into DTP applications. - Interactive CONFIGURATION for selecting screen colors, printers, etc. Eliminates the need for a separate "installation" program. - Identification of "orphaned" clues whose target words are not being used in the puzzle. - Type horizontally AND vertically. - Edit ACROSS and DOWN clues simultaneously. - Line-oriented UNDO function. - Create puzzles up to 36 letters wide by 23 letters high, with up to 300 words and clues. Clues can be up to four lines in length, 33 characters per line. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ------------------- - IBM PC or compatible computer - DOS 2.0 or higher, 320K minimum memory - color or monochrome monitor - one floppy disk drive, hard drive optional - Microsoft-compatible mouse optional - printer optional (Since CWC prints TEXT, not graphics, the best results are obtained from printers that support the IBM character set. But any sufficiently capable printer may be used including dot-matrix, daisy-wheels, ink-jets, and lasers. PostScript is not supported.) Read the "Printer Compatibility Issues" help topic for a discussion on using printers with Crossword Creator. &CWH03Installation And Startup INSTALLATION ------------ Crossword Creator is not copy-protected and does not require a formal "installation" before you can use it. Simply copy the distribution files onto another floppy or to a directory on your hard disk. The only ESSENTIAL files are CWC.EXE, CONFIG.CWC, and a language file (*.CWL), but you will probably also want a HELP file (*.CWH) and a printer definition file (*.CWP). Once you get the program up and running, the first thing you should do is execute the CONFIGURATION function. This is where you select a printer, specify a path name to your puzzle files, set screen colors, etc. This function will rebuild your CONFIG.CWC file with the options you select. Crossword Creator is distributed on two 5.25", 360K floppy disks, or one 3.5", 720K micro-floppy disk. In the latter format, "Disk #1" and "Disk #2" are the same physical disk. The following files should be present on your distribution disk(s): Crossword Creator PROGRAM disk ------------------------------ . CWC.EXE - the Crossword Creator program . CONFIG.CWC - a sample configuration file . REGISTER.CWC - registration/upgrade instructions . README.CWC - miscellaneous notes (please read!) . ENGL.CWL - English version language file . ENGL.CWH - English version help file . *.CWP - 80-column printer definition files . *.PUZ - sample puzzle files . *.CLU - sample clue files; paired with *.PUZ Crossword Creator SUPPORT disk (registered owners only) ------------------------------------------------------- . CWHPRINT.EXE - a program to print help files . CWDTP.EXE - a desktop publishing utility . *.CWP - additional printer definition files . *.PUZ - additional puzzle files . *.CLU - additional clue files; paired with *.PUZ STARTUP ------- To start Crossword Creator, type "CWC" at the DOS prompt and press ENTER. CWC.EXE must be in the CURRENT directory unless you have a PATH command that allows DOS to find it. CONFIG.CWC and a language file must also be in the current directory unless you use the DOS environment variable to indicate a specific directory. Several optional parameters may be specified on the DOS command line when you start Crossword Creator. The general form is: CWC [puzzle name] [/L=language name] [/A] [/BW] If you specify a puzzle name, CWC will load that puzzle for you on startup. The "/A" tells CWC to assume that your WORDFIND dictionary files are ALPHABETICAL. Use "/BW" if you are using a monochrome monitor with a color video adapter. This forces CWC to use its "black and white" color scheme for maximum contrast. If you use "/L=", you must supply the PRIMARY part of a Crossword Creator language filename, for example, "ESPA" (do not use the ".CWL" extension). The program will read that language file on startup. You CANNOT run CWC without a language file. The default is "ENGL", so you do not have to use this option to run in English. examples: CWC movies (loads MOVIES.PUZ) CWC /bw demo1 (loads DEMO1.PUZ, forces black and white colors) CWC /l=espa /a (reads ESPA.CWL, assume WORDFIND alphabetical) Read the "Environment Variables (CWC= and WF=)" help topic for complete instructions on setting up the DOS environment. Read the "Language Files (*.CWL)" help topic for more information on using Crossword Creator language files. &CWH04Screen Layout/Landmarks +-------------------------------------------------+ | Action Bar | +-----------------------+-------------------------+ | Puzzle Box | Reference Box | | | | | +---------------------------+ | | | | | | | Dialog or Message Box | | | | | | | +---------------------------+ | | | | | | | | +-------------------------+ | | Status Box | +-----------------------+-------------------------+ This graphic represents the layout of Crossword Creator's main screen. Other help topics make references to these general areas, so use this picture to orient yourself. The ACTION BAR is the "control center" for the MENU SYSTEM. The group names of the puzzle functions are listed in the action bar, and the pull-down menus descend from there. The color of the action bar and the pull-downs is defined by the MenuFore=/MenuBack= configuration keywords. On color monitors, the color of the hilited function in a pull-down is defined by MessFore=/MessBack=. On monochrome monitors, the hilited function is shown in reverse video. The PUZZLE BOX is where you edit your puzzles. You cannot move the cursor outside of the puzzle box boundaries, nor can you type in other areas of the screen. The DOS filename of the current puzzle is displayed in the top boundary. The color of the letters in the puzzle is defined by the PuzzFore=/PuzzBack= keywords, and the color of the unused, blank area is defined by WorkFore=/WorkBack=. The REFERENCE BOX displays a summary of the basic keyboard and mouse edit actions. Use it as a "quick reference". The color of the reference box is defined by the WorkFore/WorkBack keywords. The STATUS BOX contains status information about the current puzzle. The values are updated continuously, so you always get up-to-the-minute data. "MEM=" displays two values separated by a vertical bar. On the left is the total number of bytes of unused memory in your system. On the right is the number of unused characters available for the text of new puzzle clues. "CLU=" displays two more values. To the left of the bar is the number defined by the MaxPuzClues= configuration keyword. To the right is a count of the actual number of clues defined in the current puzzle. The current typing direction is displayed in the top-left corner, and the row and column position of the cursor is displayed in the top-right corner. The color of the reference box is defined by the WorkFore=/WorkBack= keywords. DIALOG BOXES and MESSAGE BOXES are not fixed areas. They can open up anywhere, but generally these boxes appear in the center your screen. The color of a dialog box window is defined by the DlogFore=/DlogBack= keywords. The color of the literal headings and labels in the dialog is defined by DLitFore=/DLitBack=, and the color of the variable information is defined by DVarFore=/DVarBack=. The color of a message box is defined by MessFore=/MessBack=. Read the "CONFIGURATION" help topic for instructions on how to change the screen colors. &CWH05Keyboard Operations 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. We will, however, need to hilite some special keystrokes and explain the naming conventions CWC uses when it refers to the keyboard. One of the first things you should notice in CWC is the large, rectangular REFERENCE BOX labelled "Keyboard/Mouse Editing" that takes up almost the entire right-half of the screen. The keystrokes (and mouse movements) listed in this box summarize the basic keyboard operations available to you when you are editing a puzzle design -- a "cheat sheet". Although these keystrokes are undoubtedly familiar, you are probably only used to thinking of them in a HORIZONTAL orientation, as in a word-processor. But in Crossword Creator, everything applies to the VERTICAL orientation as well. When you consider that crossword puzzles contain both ACROSS and DOWN words, the necessity for this dual nature becomes obvious. The PLUS KEY ("+") toggles the program back and forth between the ACROSS typing direction and the DOWN typing direction. Each time you press this key, the orientation reverses. The current typing direction is displayed in the STATUS BOX, just beneath the REFERENCE BOX. Experience has shown that newcomers find this "sideways" typing a little disorienting at first, but you will adapt quickly. In addition to the standard QWERTY keystrokes, as you surely know, the PC keyboard can generate dozens of "special" keystroke combinations. For example, the Ctrl+Alt+Del sequence that reboots the computer. Crossword Creator uses several special combinations, many of them as menu "accelerators". What's important is that you interpret these keystrokes correctly when you read about them in the HELP information or see them displayed on the screen. CWC uses a simple notational convention to describe multi-key keystroke combinations -- Alt+F, for example. Notice that the keycap names are joined together with a "+", indicating that you should first press and hold down the ALT key, then press the F key. Likewise, if you see the combination Ctrl+Right, you should press and hold down the CTRL key, then press the RIGHT ARROW key. It may seem silly to explain such "obvious" details, but these subtle keyboard techniques can be frustratingly difficult if the ground rules are not laid down explicitly. Don't dwell on them too long. An hour or two at the keyboard and you'll have everything under your finger tips. Read the "Menu Operations" and the "Mouse Operations" help topics for basic instructions on using those parts of Crossword Creator's "user-interface". &CWH06Menu Operations 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 interact with the MENU SYSTEM. Every "tool" built into CWC is listed in the menu system. To use one of those functions, you simply select it from the menu and ask the program to execute it. When the function is complete, you can select another tool, and so on. The way that you use the functions, and the sequence that you use them in, will be unique to your needs; Crossword Creator imposes no pre-defined structure on your work. As you become more familiar with the program, the location of the various functions in the menu system will become second-nature to you and, as you'll see, the menus are flexible enough to assist the novice without hindering the expert. The menu system is composed of two parts: the ACTION BAR, and the PULL-DOWN menus. The ACTION BAR is displayed along the top line of the screen. Each word in the action bar is associated with a group of related functions. To select a group, press the ALT key together with the CAPITALIZED LETTER in the action bar word. For example, to select the "File" group, press Alt+F. When an action bar group is selected, a PULL-DOWN menu will appear. Each word in the pull-down menu is associated with a specific function to be performed. To select a function, press the CAPITALIZED LETTER in the pull-down word. To execute it, press ENTER. For example, to perform the "Print" function, press P, then ENTER. There are also other ways to manipulate the menus. For example, you can also use the ARROW keys to scroll vertically and horizontally through the functions. When you find the one you want, just press ENTER. Or, if you change your mind and decide not to do anything, press ESC and the pull-downs will disappear. As you will notice, some menu functions have a special keystroke combination listed to the right of the function name. These are called menu "accelerators" because they are a short-cut way of executing a function WITHOUT going through the menu system. You can use the accelerator keystrokes whenever the menus are in a neutral state, that is, when no pull-downs are displayed. When you press the accelerator keystroke, the associated function will be immediately executed. As you begin to memorize these "accelerators", you'll find that your interaction with CWC as a whole will speed up considerably. If you see a function name that ends with "...", it means that you will have to supply further information in a DIALOG BOX before that function will execute. Functions that do not use a dialog box are executed as soon as you initiate them. Lastly, if you want a detailed explanation about any of the menu functions BEFORE you execute them, you can use the HELP key. First, select a function using the techniques described above. Then, instead of pressing ENTER, press F1. The HELP window for that function will be displayed. Read the "Keyboard Operations" and the "Mouse Operations" help topics for basic instructions on using those parts of Crossword Creator's "user-interface". Read the "Dialog And Message Box Operations" help topic for a complete explanation of how to manipulate those objects. &CWH07Dialog And Message Box Operations Crossword Creator's user-interface is based on the concept of "windows". A window is a rectangular box that "pops-up" on top of your work, asks you for some information, and then disappears. The WINDOW has been adopted as "the" user-interface object by almost all leading software manufacturers. CWC's user-interface was re-engineered in Version 4.00 specifically to follow these "de facto" industry standards. The most common use for a window is to display a DIALOG BOX or a MESSAGE BOX. In general, DIALOG BOXES are a way for you to give information to the PROGRAM -- an INPUT. MESSAGE BOXES, on the other hand, are a way for the program to give information to YOU -- an OUTPUT. When you see a dialog box or a message box, you should notice that it contains (or more correctly, is composed of) one or more dialog OBJECTS. One simple kind of object is a line of text, an error message, perhaps. But there are many other, more powerful objects that have been designed for specialized uses. Some of the objects you'll see in Crossword Creator dialogs are INPUT BOXES, CHECK BOXES, LIST BOXES, RANGE BARS, RADIO BUTTONS, and PUSH BUTTONS. INPUT BOXES allow you to input freeform text, for example, the clues that you provide for the words in your puzzle. You can think of an input box as a "mini" word-processor because you can type words, delete and insert characters, move the cursor, etc. When you've finished typing, press ENTER to signal the end of your input. CHECK BOXES allow you to select a subset of "options" from a larger list. "Give me that, but NOT that", for example. Or, "Do this to all of the items I've checked." A single check box has only two states: ON and OFF. Pressing the SPACEBAR toggles these two states. Like check boxes, RADIO BUTTONS also allow you to select from a set of available choices. The difference is that you may select only ONE item from the group -- they are all mutually exclusive. The term RADIO BUTTON is borrowed from the design of old-style car radios. Remember the station selector buttons ? When you pushed ONE in, all the others popped out -- a single choice. To "push in" a radio button, press the SPACEBAR. A LIST BOX is another "single choice" object, but it is used in place of radio buttons when the number of possible choices is quite large; more than could comfortably be displayed together on the screen. For this reason, list boxes are usually SCROLLABLE. To make a selection, hilite your choice using the ARROW keys or the PGUP/PGDN keys, then press ENTER. Sometimes you need to specify a single numeric value that falls within a specific range. For example, "Pick a number between 1 and 100." In this situation, a RANGE BAR is the easiest object to use. Simply use the LEFT/RIGHT ARROW keys to slide the "range pointer" over to the desired value. PUSH BUTTONS are a special class of radio buttons. They are the "control panel" for the entire window because pushing one of them causes some action to be taken on the dialog box as a whole. All dialog boxes and message boxes will contain at least one PUSH BUTTON. The word inside the push button indicates the action that will be taken when you "push it" by pressing ENTER or the SPACEBAR. For example, "OK" would accept your input (or acknowledgement) and complete the dialog, where "CANCEL" would simply exit without doing anything at all. Pressing ESC is equivalent to pressing the "CANCEL" button. As you work within a dialog box, use the TAB/BACKTAB keys to hilite individual objects (for MESSAGE BOXES, use the LEFT/RIGHT ARROW keys). A hilited object is said to "have the INPUT FOCUS", meaning that your keyboard input will affect it. Only one object at a time can have the INPUT FOCUS, so you will have to move it from object to object. If you press the PgDn key, the INPUT FOCUS will move immediately to the first push button in the dialog. Read the "Keyboard", "Mouse", and "Menu Operations" help topics for more instruction on Crossword Creator's user-interface. &CWH08Mouse Operations 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, DOUBLE-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 SYSTEM and the DIALOG BOXES. In addition, there are some simple short-cuts you can use while editing your puzzle. To operate the menus, place the mouse cursor on top of one of the words in the ACTION BAR. PRESS BUTTON 1; a PULL-DOWN menu will be displayed. DRAG the mouse cursor over the function names in the menu until the one you want is hilited. RELEASE the button; the function will be executed. Inside a DIALOG or MESSAGE BOX, the mouse simultaneously moves the INPUT FOCUS and manipulates the OBJECT. With "selection" objects like RADIO and PUSH BUTTONS, and CHECK and LIST BOXES, just CLICK BUTTON 1 on the item you want to select. If a list box displays a SCROLL BAR on one side, you can scroll forward and backward by CLICKing BUTTON 1 inside the SCROLL BAR or on the ARROWHEADS at each end. With RANGE BARS, move the mouse on top of the "range pointer", PRESS BUTTON 1, DRAG the pointer to the desired value, and RELEASE the button. With INPUT BOXES, CLICK BUTTON 1 anywhere inside the edit box, then move the cursor or type your text as needed. There is also a special mouse operation that applies only to the HELP dialog, the scrollable text window that is invoked by the F1 function or by selecting a HELP TOPIC to read. This dialog does not have any push buttons, and it is not obvious how to dismiss the dialog using the mouse. The way to do it is to CLICK on the DIAMOND symbol in the top-left corner of the window. This is equivalent to pressing a "CANCEL" button. Note that all of these mouse operations are accomplished with BUTTON 1. This is a LOGICAL identification and does not always mean the left-most button. Mice have different numbers of buttons, and most allow you to specify which PHYSICAL BUTTON is BUTTON 1. If you have problems using your mouse, check your owner's manual first. There are three more short-cuts you can use with the mouse while you are editing your puzzle. First, CLICKing BUTTON 1 anywhere in the puzzle will move the cursor to that position. CLICKing BUTTON 2 on any WORD in the puzzle will automatically execute the EDIT CLUES dialog box. Lastly, CLICKing BUTTON 1 on the PLUS SIGN "(+)" in the STATUS BOX will toggle the typing direction. Read the "Menu Operations" and the "Keyboard Operations" help topics for basic instructions on using those parts of Crossword Creator's "user-interface". &CWH09Registering With PC HELP-LINE PC HELP-LINE believes that no one should have to pay for software before they have a chance to try it out for themselves. But if you like Crossword Creator and want to use it on a regular basis, you have an obligation to register the program with PCHL. Registration establishes you as a customer of PC HELP-LINE and entitles you to the CWC Support Disk (Disk #2), discounts on future upgrades, news about upcoming products, technical support, and other privileges. The registration fee is $20 U.S. dollars. Overseas customers should add an additional $7 to cover postage. A registration form is provided in the REGISTER.CWC text file. Simply print out the form, fill in the information, and return it to PC HELP-LINE with your registration fee. Comments and suggestions for enhancements are always welcome at PCHL. 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. Thank you for supporting shareware and PC HELP-LINE products. &CWH11NEW - Start From Scratch Menu: FILE Accelerator: none The NEW function clears the current puzzle and erases all clues from memory. You're left with a "clean slate". If you have made changes to a puzzle already in memory, but have not saved your work, NEW will warn you. Even if you choose NOT to save your changes, your disk files are safe. NEW erases memory, NOT disk files. &CWH12OPEN - Retrieve Your Puzzles Menu: FILE Accelerator: Ctrl+O The OPEN function reads a puzzle file and its corresponding clue file into memory so you can edit or print an existing crossword. A dialog box is displayed containing a LIST BOX of all the available puzzles. Select a puzzle name, press "OK", and CWC will load the puzzle into memory. CWC will only look for puzzles in the directory named by the PuzDirName= keyword in the configuration file (CONFIG.CWC). If no path name is supplied, CWC will look in the CURRENT directory. Read the "CONFIGURATION" help topic for more information on the PuzDirName= keyword. &CWH13SAVE - Save Your Work Menu: FILE Accelerator: Ctrl+S The SAVE function takes the crossword data currently in memory and writes it to disk. If the puzzle was previously loaded from disk using the OPEN function, SAVE overwrites that disk file with the new version. If the puzzle has been built from scratch (an "UNTITLED" puzzle), CWC will execute the "Save As" dialog box so can enter a puzzle name and title. CWC will write all puzzle files into the directory named by the PuzDirName= keyword in the configuration file (CONFIG.CWC). If no path name is supplied, CWC will write into the CURRENT directory. Two files are always created; a ".PUZ" file and a ".CLU" file. The first contains an image of the puzzle itself. The second contains the text of your word clues. These files are always paired and will have the same primary DOS filename. For example, MOVIES.PUZ and MOVIES.CLU. Read the "SAVE AS" help topic for instructions on how to change a puzzle's title, or save it under a new name. Read the "Puzzle / Clue Files (*.PUZ / *.CLU)" help topic for a complete description of the internal structures of the puzzle and clue files. &CWH14SAVE AS - Change Puzzle Name/Title Menu: FILE Accelerator: none The SAVE AS function is identical to the SAVE function, except that you are given the opportunity to rename the puzzle and/or change its title. A dialog box is displayed containing two INPUT BOXES; one for the puzzle name, and another for the puzzle title. If you wish to change this information, simply type over it. When you press "OK", CWC will save the crossword data to disk. Note that if you change the puzzle name, the original disk files will NOT be disturbed. This provides you with a convenient method for copying puzzles, or saving different versions of the same puzzle. In addition, SAVE AS will warn you if you are about to overwrite an existing puzzle having the same name as the one you supplied in the input box. &CWH16PRINT - Print Your Puzzles Menu: FILE Accelerator: Ctrl+P The PRINT function formats and prints the puzzle currently in memory. A dialog box is displayed containing a set of RADIO BUTTONS for selecting the output format, and a LIST BOX of all the available printer definition files. Default values will already be selected for both of these objects, but you may, of course, change them. To begin printing, press "OK". As the puzzle is formatted, Crossword Creator calculates the number of print columns that will be required to reproduce the crossword on paper. The actual calculation is: If HighestClueIndexNbr < 100, then PuzzleBoxWidth = 3 If HighestClueIndexNbr >= 100, then PuzzleBoxWidth = 4 NbrColumnsRequired = (PuzzleBoxWidth * NbrPuzzleLettersWide) + 1 Even though the maximum puzzle width is only 36 letters, many more columns are required to print the outlines of the puzzle boxes and other details that are not shown when editing a puzzle on the screen. The number of AVAILABLE print columns is specified by the MaxPrintCols= keyword in the printer definition file you've selected. If this is less than the calculated number required, CWC presents you with three choices: cancel the print routine, truncate the puzzle to fit and continue printing, or ignore the warning and print the puzzle anyway. Depending on your printer, trying to print a too-wide puzzle will probably result in garbled output. Most printers will perform an automatic carriage-return if a print line is too long, throwing off CWC's line spacing and "wrapping" the extra characters to the next print line. If you get a "Puzzle is too wide" warning and your printer has a condensed-print mode, try using a different printer definition file. Crossword Creator supplies both NORMAL and CONDENSED drivers for all printers that support condensed printing. Read the "Printer Definition Files" help topics for complete documentation on MaxPrintCols= and the other printer control keywords. Read the "Printer Support List" help topic for a list of the printers supported by Crossword Creator. &CWH18DOS SHELL - Execute DOS Commands Menu: FILE Accelerator: none The DOS SHELL function temporarily suspends Crossword Creator in memory, and presents you with the DOS command line. Use this function when you need to execute some DOS commands without exiting the main program. Theoretically, you could run another application, but remember that CWC is still consuming memory and you will have a lot less RAM to work with. To get back to Crossword Creator, issue the DOS command EXIT. &CWH20EXIT - End The Program Menu: FILE Accelerator: none The EXIT function terminates Crossword Creator and returns you to DOS. If you have made changes to a puzzle in memory, but have not saved your work, EXIT will warn you. &CWH21UNDO - Restore A Changed Puzzle Line Menu: EDIT Accelerator: Ctrl+Backspace The UNDO function allows you to reverse the effect of a recent puzzle edit action. UNDO works on a line-by-line basis. As long as you have not moved the cursor off of the edited line, your action can be UNDOne. Once you move to another line, however, your edit action becomes permanent. For example, your current typing direction is ACROSS, and the cursor is on row three, column five, of your puzzle. You accidentally press Ctrl+End which erases all the letters to the right of the cursor. As long as the cursor remains on row three, UNDO can restore the line. A puzzle "line" as far as UNDO is concerned can be either a row or a column, depending on the current typing direction. So, as long as you do not move the cursor PERPENDICULAR to the typing direction, UNDO will work. Your edits will also become permanent if you execute one of the menu functions. The only exception is the AUTO PLACE function. Even after successfully placing a word in the puzzle, UNDO can still remove it if you do so BEFORE moving the cursor off of that line. Read the "Keyboard" and "Mouse Operation" help topics for a description of the available puzzle edit actions. Read the "AUTO PLACE" help topic for a complete explanation of the AUTO PLACE function. &CWH23EDIT CLUES - Enter Your Puzzle Clues Menu: EDIT Accelerator: Ctrl+C The EDIT CLUES function allows you to input the text of your puzzle clues. A dialog box is displayed containing a pair of 4-line INPUT BOXES, one for ACROSS words, another for DOWN words. To the right of each input box is a CHECK BOX titled "DELETE". In Crossword Creator, puzzle clues are DEPENDENT on puzzle words. This means that you cannot input a clue BEFORE its corresponding word has been placed in the puzzle. Likewise, if you wish to delete a clue from the puzzle, you must do so BEFORE removing its corresponding word. To edit a clue you must first select a word, then execute the EDIT CLUES function. Selecting the word you want to work with is easy; just place the cursor on ANY LETTER of the word. Then, press the Ctrl+C "accelerator" combination or use the menu system to execute the function. When the dialog box is displayed, you may see the clues for TWO words. If the cursor was at the intersection of two words, CWC will display both the ACROSS clue and the DOWN clue. If the cursor was NOT at an intersection, you will still see both INPUT BOXES, but only one of them will be useable. Four lines are available for each clue. Since each line is a separate dialog object, there is no "word-wrap"; it is up to you to break the lines between words. CWC will automatically "squeeze out" leading blanks on each line and "close up" the entire clue if you leave a line completely blank. If you wish to delete a clue, it is not necessary to blank out all the text; simply CHECK the "DELETE" BOX. Press the SPACEBAR to toggle the state of the check box on and off. The ON state is indicated by an "X" in the check box. When you are finished editing a clue, press "OK". CWC will make the changes you requested and update the clue count in the STATUS BOX. Continue editing until you have supplied a clue for every word in the puzzle. Read the "REVIEW CLUES" help topic for an explanation of how to check for "missing" and "orphaned" clues. Read the "NEXT ACROSS" and "NEXT DOWN" help topics to learn about a quick way to step through all the words and clues in your puzzle. &CWH25NEXT ACROSS - Edit The Next ACROSS Clue Menu: EDIT Accelerator: Ctrl+Right The NEXT ACROSS function moves the cursor to the next ACROSS word in the puzzle and executes the EDIT CLUES dialog box. You will probably find this useful when entering the text of your puzzle clues. Instead of manually jumping from word to word, NEXT ACROSS will step you sequentially through each ACROSS word in the puzzle. The NEXT DOWN function provides the same capability for DOWN words. &CWH26NEXT DOWN - Edit The Next DOWN Clue Menu: EDIT Accelerator: Ctrl+Left The NEXT DOWN function moves the cursor to the next DOWN word in the puzzle and executes the EDIT CLUES dialog box. You will probably find this useful when entering the text of your puzzle clues. Instead of manually jumping from word to word, NEXT DOWN will step you sequentially through each DOWN word in the puzzle. The NEXT ACROSS function provides the same capability for ACROSS words. &CWH28AUTO PLACE - Let The Program Do The Work Menu: EDIT Accelerator: Ctrl+A The AUTO PLACE function will build a puzzle automatically as you supply words to the program. To be honest, AUTO PLACE will probably be of little interest to the puzzle "craftsman" who always insists on building a tight, symmetrical, lexically correct crossword. AUTO PLACE caters, instead, to the novice designer who cares little for symmetry, is short on time, and probably has a very specific list of words to work from. AUTO PLACE works like this. First, you give CWC a word, indicating whether you want it to be an ACROSS word or a DOWN word. The program then scans the PUZZLE BOX, looking for places where your NEW word can be properly intersected with EXISTING words. When a potential location is found, CWC shows it to you and asks if you would like to have your word placed there. If you say "yes", it's done. If you say "no", the search continues until another place is found, and so on. If Crossword Creator can't find a place for your word (or you pass up all the opportunities), you can try it again in the other direction, or skip that word temporarily and try another. CWC cannot AUTO PLACE a word into a blank puzzle, so you will have to type the first word in yourself. After that, though, new branches and intersection possibilities should spring up quickly. Even so, not every new word will always fit the first time. You may have to skip around in your list, trying words in a different order, maybe even typing some in manually to create new branches. Remember that the AUTO PLACE function is not a magic wand. It is extremely unlikely that you will be able to build even a medium size puzzle without any manual intervention. AUTO PLACE will mainly help you find potential intersections that have been overlooked. AUTO PLACE uses two dialog boxes. When you first execute the function, a dialog box is displayed containing an INPUT BOX for typing words, a set of RADIO BUTTONS for selecting the placement MODE, and another pair of INPUT BOXES for specifying the placement LIMITS. Simply type in the word you want to place, choose a MODE, set your LIMITS, then press either "ACROSS" or "DOWN" to indicate the placement direction. AUTO PLACE will then dismiss the first dialog box and begin searching. As each potential location is found, CWC will display another, smaller dialog, asking for your confirmation. An important feature of AUTO PLACE is the placement MODE. CWC supports two modes, FREEFORM and TEMPLATE. FREEFORM is the simpler of the two. In this mode, CWC will search the entire PUZZLE BOX looking for potential intersections. This kind of placement has a high "hit-rate", but it will ultimately produce a randomly-organized, asymmetrical puzzle. TEMPLATE mode, on the other hand, forces AUTO PLACE to constrain its search to a shape you have drawn in the PUZZLE BOX. You draw the shape by typing CWC's special "template character", the UNDERSCORE. For example, suppose you want to design a symmetrical puzzle that has a consistent letter pattern. Instead of typing LETTERS into the puzzle box, draw the PATTERN you want to follow using the UNDERSCORE key. As you type in the template characters, you'll see shaded boxes appear, indicating the boundaries of your custom "template". When your puzzle template is complete, try placing a word in TEMPLATE mode. As you'll see, CWC will only propose placement locations that lie within the shape you've defined. This kind of placement has a much lower "hit-rate" than FREEFORM, but it allows you to "tune" the AUTO PLACE function to your exact specifications. You may even find it useful to keep your own "library" of puzzle templates to use as starting points for new crosswords. Setting the placement LIMITS is another way to customize AUTO PLACE. By default, CWC searches the entire PUZZLE BOX, but you can confine AUTO PLACE to a smaller area by specifying an upper limit value for rows and/or columns. This is especially useful for building puzzles with specific dimensions. AUTO PLACE will NOT suggest word locations that fall outside of the boundaries you establish. &CWH31REVIEW CLUES - Show Missing/Orphan Clues Menu: PUZZLE Accelerator: Ctrl+R The REVIEW CLUES function helps you identify and correct errors in your clue definitions. Even in a small crossword, it's easy to skip a word and forget to supply a clue. It's also common to "orphan" a clue by inadvertently deleting or misspelling a puzzle word. REVIEW CLUES will find these errors for you so you can correct them. In addition, you will also be able to "preview" the clue index numbers without actually printing the puzzle. This is useful when you want one puzzle clue to reference another, for example, "Opposite of 12 across". When you execute REVIEW CLUES, the first thing CWC does is format the puzzle, just like the PRINT function. Then, a dialog box is displayed containing the puzzle words, the text of their corresponding clues, and the index numbers that will appear in the clue list when you actually print the puzzle. Clues are presented a page at a time, beginning with the ACROSS clues, followed by the DOWN clues. Press "CONTINUE" to view each subsequent page. If you see "*** missing ***" flashing on the screen, it means that no clue has been defined for that word. After the last page of DOWN clues, CWC will display any "orphaned" clues it may have found. These are clues that were once legitimately defined, but their corresponding words are no longer part of the puzzle. For example, suppose you type the word "DOG" into your puzzle and define its clue to be "Man's Best Friend". If at some point you erase the word "DOG" from your puzzle without first deleting "Man's Best Friend", you've "orphaned" that clue. But it's easy to get it back. Simply retype the word "DOG" back into your puzzle and the connection to "Man's Best Friend" will be restored. If some orphaned clues are identified AND you never press "CANCEL" while paging through them, CWC will give you a chance to "clean house" at the end. A message box will be displayed asking if you want to delete all the orphaned clues that were found. If you press "OK", the clues will be discarded. If you press "CANCEL", they will be retained, thus giving you the chance to "hook them back up" if need be. REVIEW CLUES is a handy function to perform just before you save the final version of a puzzle. &CWH32WORDFIND - Find Just The Right Word Menu: PUZZLE Accelerator: Ctrl+W WORDFIND is a shareware program developed by Castle Oaks Computer Services. It allows you to search through disk-based dictionary files looking for words that match a letter-pattern you specify. This can be quite useful for puzzle designers who need to find a word with just the right combination of letters. Crossword Creator's built-in, dialog box interface can read WORDFIND's "Xnn" dictionary files DIRECTLY, without the need for Castle Oaks' stand-alone search program. This allows you to conveniently lookup words from INSIDE CWC, instead of exiting to DOS and running a separate program. When you execute WORDFIND, a dialog box is displayed containing a single INPUT BOX. To search for words, type a letter pattern in the INPUT BOX. A pattern may contain letters of the alphabet or a question mark ("?"). For example, B??L??S. Since there are seven tokens in this pattern, CWC will search through WORDFIND's "X7" dictionary file (the one that contains all seven-letter words) and display those that match the pattern. Once you have supplied a pattern, press the "OK" button to begin searching. CWC will display the matching words in a paged, columnar format. At the end of each page you may continue searching by pressing "CONTINUE", or you may begin a new search by typing in a different pattern and pressing "OK". You can stop searching in the MIDDLE of a page by pressing "CANCEL". Pressing "CANCEL" at the END of a page will exit the dialog. Two of the words displayed, in this example, would be BALLADS and BOILERS. Notice that where a LETTER was specified in the pattern, the words also contain a matching LETTER in that position. Where the pattern contains a QUESTION MARK, any letter will do. Remember that to use this function, you must already own a set of WORDFIND's "Xnn" dictionary files. In addition, you must also tell Crossword Creator where to find them on your system. This is done with a DOS "environment variable". Before you start CWC, supply a path name using the "WF=" environment variable. For example, SET WF=C:\DATA\WORDFIND\. Crossword Creator will then look for the WORDFIND files in that directory. If you do not supply a path name in the DOS environment, CWC will look only in the CURRENT directory. One further point. By default, CWC will search the entire dictionary file from beginning to end, looking for matching words. But suppose your pattern, like the example, contains "leading letters" like the "B" in position one. If the dictionary files are alphabetical (and they should be if you have not modified them), it would obviously be a waste of time to continue searching for matches once you've passed by all the "B"-words. If you want Crossword Creator to perform more intelligently with "leading letter" patterns, start the program with the "/A" switch (for ALPHABETICAL) on the DOS command line. With this option turned ON, CWC will automatically stop searching when these "alphabetical boundaries" are passed. Technical support for WORDFIND is provided by Castle Oaks, but you may purchase copies of the dictionary files directly from PC HELP-LINE. Crossword Creator Version 4.00 supports WORDFIND Version 3.1 file formats. If you already own a different version of WORDFIND, check with Castle Oaks about compatibility. PCHL will make every effort to support future changes in WORDFIND's dictionary files. Read the "Environment Variables (CWC= and WF=)" help topic for more complete instructions on setting up the DOS "environment". Read the "Installation and Startup" help topic for a complete description of all the available DOS command line switches. Read the "ABOUT CWC" help topic for more information about PC HELP-LINE and Castle Oaks Computer Services. &CWH34CONFIGURATION - Customize The Program Menu: PUZZLE Accelerator: Ctrl+F In order for Crossword Creator to run properly, you need to supply the program with a few important pieces of "configuration" information. This data is stored in a special file called CONFIG.CWC and contains, for example, the name of the directory where your puzzle files are located. Earlier versions of CWC came with a separate "installation" program, or required you to build CONFIG.CWC yourself with a text editor. Now, the configuration file can be created and maintained from inside the main program. That is the purpose of the dialog box. When you execute CONFIGURATION, a dialog box is displayed containing several different dialog objects. When you have finished working with all of the objects, press the "CONFIG.CWC" button. This will cause CWC to write out a new configuration file containing the information you supplied. All the new settings will take effect immediately, with the exception of the MENU colors and MaxPuzClues. To make these settings effective you must EXIT Crossword Creator and start the program again. The titles that identify each object are the actual keywords used in the configuration file. Here's what each object is used for: PuzDirName - An INPUT BOX. Type the DOS directory name where you want CWC to look for your puzzle files. If you have only floppy drives, you might want to supply just a drive ID. If you leave this entry blank, CWC will look for puzzle files in the CURRENT directory. MaxPuzClues - An INPUT BOX. Type the maximum number of clues that CWC will allow you to define in a single puzzle. The program will allocate EXACTLY this many "slots" in memory to hold the clues you supply, so give yourself enough room. Colors - A set of RANGE BARS. Use the LEFT/RIGHT ARROW keys to specify the foreground and background screen colors for each of the seven pairs of objects. Colors are identified by a number between 0 and 7. 0=black 1=blue 2=green 3=cyan 4=red 5=magenta 6=brown 7=white PrinterDef - A LIST BOX. Select the name of the printer definition file that best supports your printer. Hilite your choice using the UP/DOWN ARROW keys, then press ENTER. The box is scrollable, so if you don't see your printer right away, it may just be further down on the list. Config.cwc - A PUSH BUTTON. Press this button if you want your new settings to take effect. The configuration file will also be updated. The SPACEBAR or the ENTER key may be used to "press" a push button. Cancel - A PUSH BUTTON. Press this button to EXIT from the dialog without doing anything. Any changed settings will be ignored. Read the "Installation and Startup" help topic for an explanation of the different ways to start Crossword Creator from DOS. Read the "Configuration File (CONFIG.CWC)" help topics for complete documentation on the configuration file keywords and their valid values. Read the "Printer Support List" help topic for a list of the printers supported by Crossword Creator. Read the "Dialog And Message Box Operations" help topic for a complete explanation of how to manipulate dialog and message box objects. &CWH41HELP TOPICS - An On-Line Manual Menu: HELP Accelerator: Shift+F1 The HELP TOPICS function is a "Table of Contents" for the HELP file. A dialog box is displayed containing a LIST BOX of all the available help topics. The topics are listed in alphabetical order. Selecting a topic will automatically display a scrollable text window containing the corresponding HELP information. To dismiss the text window, press ESC, or CLICK the mouse on the DIAMOND symbol in the top-left corner. The LIST BOX will be redisplayed and you may select another topic to read. Press "CANCEL" to dismiss the LIST BOX and return to your edit session. Many of the help topics listed are the ones that would be invoked automatically by the F1 function if you were using a dialog box or the menu system. But there are also many other topics that provide valuable documentation on the more technical aspects of Crossword Creator. For example, there are detailed descriptions of all the file formats, including CONFIG.CWC and the printer definition files. A list of ERROR MESSAGES with explanations is provided, descriptions of the command line parameters, and more. As you have time, browse through these topics. Even if you don't read every word, you will at least find it beneficial to know what information is available. Crossword Creator's HELP file is its PRIMARY documentation, and making it available on-line should increase not only that information's accessibility, but its usability as well. Read the "Help File Print Utility - CWHPRINT.EXE" for instructions on producing a printed manual from this HELP file. &CWH42ABOUT CWC - Author/Copyright Information Menu: HELP Accelerator: none CROSSWORD CREATOR is a product of PC HELP-LINE Copyright 1988-90 Registration Fee: $20.00 PC HELP-LINE 35250 Silver Leaf Circle Yucaipa, CA 92399 United States PC HELP-LINE is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals Sales/Technical Support Hours: ------------------------------ M-F 6pm - 10pm, Pacific time S-S 10am - 2pm, Pacific time Telephone: 714-797-3091 Compuserve ID: 72357,3523 ====================================================================== WORDFIND is a product of Castle Oaks Computer Services Copyright 1988-90 Registration Fee: $15.00 Castle Oaks Computer Services P.O. Box 36082 Indianapolis, IN 46236-0082 WORDFIND dictionary files are available from both Castle Oaks and PC HELP-LINE. Technical support for WORDFIND is provided by Castle Oaks. ====================================================================== The PC version of Crossword Creator was written using the Microsoft BASIC Compiler, version 6.0. The development work and system testing were conducted on both a Zenith SupersPort 286 laptop and an XT-clone, running MS-DOS 3.2. Additional BASIC functions were provided by these products: String space management from "Mach2", by MicroHelp, Inc. File/directory routines from QuickPak, by Crescent Software Window/mouse support from QuickWindows, by Software Interphase Many thanks to these talented developers. &CWH50Configuration File (CONFIG.CWC) 1 of 2 If you use a "CONFIG.SYS" file when you boot DOS, you are already familiar with the concept of a configuration file. 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. 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= /HPLJET1 maxpuzclues=/50 These lines, however, are invalid and would be ignored: PuzDirName =/c:\puzzles (intervening blank before the "=") PRINTERDEF=/ HPLJET1 (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. Part 2 lists 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. &CWH51Configuration File (CONFIG.CWC) 2 of 2 PuzzFore= PuzzBack= The values for these keywords define the WorkFore= WorkBack= foreground and background colors used in MenuFore= MenuBack= the program. MessFore= MessBack= DlogFore= DlogBack= Valid values are numbers between DLitFore= DLitBack= 0 and 7. DVarFore= DVarBack= 0 = black 1 = blue 2 = green 3 = cyan 4 = red 5 = magenta 6 = yellow 7 = white example: MENUFORE=/7 MENUBACK=/2 default: COLOR MONOCHROME Fore Back Fore Back ---- ---- ---- ---- Puzz 1 7 7 0 Work 7 1 0 7 Menu 0 3 7 0 Mess 7 4 7 0 Dlog 0 7 7 0 DLit 1 7 7 0 DVar 5 7 7 0 PrinterDef= Names the printer definition file to use. Do not specify the ".CWP" suffix. example: PRINTERDEF=/HPLJET1 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 the CURRENT directory) MaxPuzClues= Specifies the maximum number of clues that can be defined for a puzzle. Valid values are 1 to 300. example: MAXPUZCLUES=/100 default: 200 Read the "Screen Layout/Landmarks" help topic for a visual map of Crossword Creator's color scheme. &CWH52Printer Definition Files (*.CWP) 1 of 5 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 CONFIGURATION topic. The only differences are the names of the recognizable keywords, and the nature of the keyword values. Part 2 describes the general format of a printer definition file. &CWH53Printer Definition Files (*.CWP) 2 of 5 This topic 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 topic 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 "Printer Support List" help topic. 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. 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. Here are some valid lines that might be found in a printer definition file: BoxTLCor=/218 SpecialNumbersON=/027/069 SpecialNumbersOFF=/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 ESC 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 ESC 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. Part 3 is the beginning of 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. &CWH54Printer Definition Files (*.CWP) 3 of 5 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 ContinuousForms= This keyword specifies whether or not the printer uses continuous forms. - OPTIONAL - Valid values are "Y" or "N". example: CONTINUOUSFORMS=/N default: Y 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 "ContinuousForms=/N", 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 MaxPrintCols= This keyword specifies the maximum number of characters that may be printed on a single line. A warning is given BEFORE printing if a puzzle requires more than this many columns. - OPTIONAL - Valid values are 1 to 145. example: MAXPRINTCOLS=/137 default: 80 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" or "N". example: SEPARATECLUEPAGE=/Y default: N Part 4 continues the keyword list. &CWH55Printer Definition Files (*.CWP) 4 of 5 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 are intended primarily for selecting SUPERSCRIPT mode or some similar font that can print small numbers. - OPTIONAL - SpecialLettersON= This pair of sequences is used just before and SpecialLettersOFF= immediately after printing a row of letters in the solution. They are intended primarily for selecting a special font. - OPTIONAL - SpecialTitleON= This pair of sequences is used just before and SpecialTitleOFF= immediately after printing the puzzle title. Again, they are intended primarily for selecting a special font. - OPTIONAL - 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. The optimum values are dependent on the design of the printer's character set, but in general each should be about HALF the incremental value specified by WHOLEBOX, and their SUM should be EQUAL to the WHOLEBOX value. - 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 - Part 5 continues the keyword list. &CWH56Printer Definition Files (*.CWP) 5 of 5 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 BoxSpace= 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 and SPACE characters are used to fill in and around 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 - &CWH57Puzzle / Clue Files (*.PUZ / *.CLU) 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. PUZZLE files have an extension of ".PUZ", and are simply an image of the puzzle itself. Each file contains 23 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. example: (CATS.PUZ) " PUPPY " " U " "YARN " " R " . . . etc. CLUE files have an extension of ".CLU", and have the same PRIMARY names as their corresponding PUZZLE files. The first record in a CLUE file is a HEADER record. It contains the puzzle title 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 actual number of clue records is exactly equal to the count stored in the header record. The character fields are, again, delimited by quotes and separated by a comma. example: (CATS.CLU) "Felix's Feline Follies",3 "YARN","Cats ~ball it up~" "PUPPY","worst enemy|but man's best friend" "PURR","familiar feline sound" Notice that if the clue text contains imbedded quotes, they are represented as TILDES in the file. They are translated into real quotes when the file is loaded. The words themselves, obviously, are never longer than the maximum dimensions of an actual puzzle. The clue text can contain up to four "segments" of 33 characters each. Each segment represents one clue "line", and each line is separated by the "|" character. CWC makes no distinction between ACROSS words and DOWN words in its clue file format. Therefore, if the same word is defined in both directions in the puzzle, it CANNOT have two different clues. &CWH58Help Files (*.CWH) The format for HELP files is similar to the clue files. Each topic in the file consists of a TITLE record, followed by up to 80 lines of text. The first six characters of a TITLE record must contain "&CWHnn", where nn is a "help index" value between 01 and 99. The rest of the record contains the title that will be displayed by the HELP TOPICS function in Crossword Creator. The title may be up to 40 characters long. The actual text records may be up to 70 characters long. example: &CWH99My New Help Topic Here is the text for the new help topic I added. This will make it easy for me to remember something I discovered. If you wish to enhance the HELP information provided with CWC, simply load the file 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 topic are PHYSICALLY CONTIGUOUS in the file because the HELP routine will stop reading records as soon as it finds the next TITLE record. CWC will automatically present the HELP text in a scrollable window, so the information can be as lengthy or as brief as you want. Crossword Creator uses about 70 of the available 99 index numbers. If you add topics of your own, start with 99 and work backwards. That will minimize your chances of overlaying an existing topic. &CWH59Language Files (*.CWH) Crossword Creator can support foreign languages. All the on-screen text has been externalized into files that are read when the program starts up. LANGUAGE files have a primary filename that identifies the particular language. The extension name for a LANGUAGE file is ".CWL". The default language is "English", but you can instruct Crossword Creator to load other language files if they are available (refer to the "Installation And Startup" help topic for instructions on how to use the "/L=" command line parameter). The format of a language file is relatively complex and modifications should probably only be attempted with the aid and/or supervision of PC HELP-LINE. Technical support will NOT be extended to problems related to language files that have not been tested and approved by PCHL. If you have a need for a language that is not currently supported, and are willing to provide the translation skills necessary to do the job, contact PCHL for assistance in getting started. It is important that the language file specifications be adhered to exactly, but they are easy to follow and available for the asking. &CWH60Environment Variables (CWC= and WF=) 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 files (*.CWH), language files (*.CWL), and 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 support files. Or, for example, you may choose to define more than one CONFIG.CWC file and place them in different sub-directories. To set the variable, issue the DOS command: SET CWC=[path name] In place of "[path name]", type the name of the path where Crossword Creator's support files are located. Make sure there are no intervening blanks anywhere except the required one between "SET" and "CWC=". example: SET CWC=C:\PROGRAMS\CWC Crossword Creator uses a second variable, "WF=", to specify the location of WORDFIND's dictionary files. If you already have a copy of WORDFIND installed in another directory, you will find this more convenient than keeping a second copy of the "Xnn" files in Crossword Creator's directory. example: SET WF=C:\UTILITY\WORDFIND To remove a variable from the environment issue the SET command without any characters after the equal sign: SET CWC= The use of Crossword Creator's environment variables is entirely optional. They are 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. &CWH61Printer Compatibility Issues If you can't get Crossword Creator to produce sharp, square boxes and continuous lines on your printer, you may have a compatibility problem. The following facts about PC printers should help you determine the best way to use your printer with CWC. 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. But letters and numbers are only a subset of the symbols that make up a printer's "character set". 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, for example, to draw the frame boundaries around the windows and dialog boxes. 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 built 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 an "oddball" 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 for printers that don't support EITHER level of IBM compatibility, like the DIABLO 630 standard for daisy-wheels and the Epson RX-80 dot-matrix. Some printers even have their OWN box drawing characters that are different 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. One last important point. Crossword Creator uses a printer technique called "overprinting". This means that the program "layers" different characters on top of each other by making multiple "passes" on a single line of print. To accomplish this, CWC sends a "carriage return (CR)" character to the printer WITHOUT an accompanying "line feed (LF)" character. This causes the printer's printhead to return to the left margin, but does NOT advance the paper. Another layer of characters is then printed on top of the existing line. Printers equipped with an "auto line feed" feature can defeat CWC's overprinting because they insert a LF character after every CR character received. Since the paper is advanced before CWC has finished its overprinting, your output will look VERY STRANGE. The most obvious symptom of this problem are puzzles that look "double-spaced" and are regularly broken up by horizontal lines of "white space". There is virtually no way that Crossword Creator can adapt to or correct for an "auto line feed" problem because it occurs "behind the program's back", at the hardware level. Check your owner's manual. This feature is usually enabled/disabled by positioning a hardware DIP switch somewhere on the printer. Read the "Printer Support List" help topic for a list of the printers supported by Crossword Creator. &CWH62Printer Support List 1 of 2 This list was last updated on 09/01/89. If your printer is not explicitly supported, you still have two options. First, check your owner's manual to see if your printer EMULATES any of those listed. If so, you can probably use THAT driver. Second, PCHL will build custom drivers free of charge, provided you have REGISTERED your copy of Crossword Creator. All printer definition files have an EXTENSION name of ".CWP". The naming conventions used in the PRIMARY part of the filename are as follows: The FIRST two characters are an abbreviation of the manufacturer's name. The LAST character is a numeric digit. Every printer will have at least a type "1" definition file, with a MaxPrintCols= value of 80. If multiple drivers are provided for the same printer, they will be numbered sequentially, beginning with "2", and the MaxPrintCols= value will be larger, as well. The five (or fewer) characters in the MIDDLE are an abbreviation of the printer's model name. example: EPFX86E1 |~|~~~~| | | | type "1", 80 columns | | | | model name, FX-86e | | EP, Epson manufacturer Read the "Printer Definition Files" help topics for complete documentation on MaxPrintCols= and the other printer control keywords. Manufacturer CWP Name Model Name / Description ============ ======== ======================================= PC HELP-LINE CWDTP special driver for use with CWDTP.EXE --------------------------------------------------------------------- all DABLO631 any, DIABLO 630 standard printers --------------------------------------------------------------------- Epson EPFX86E1 FX-86e EPFX86E2 EPLQ8501 LQ-850 EPLQ8502 EPLX8001 LX-800 EPLX8002 EPPLAIN1 early FX, no IBM character set EPPLAIN2 EPRX801 RX-80 EPRX802 --------------------------------------------------------------------- HP HPDJET1 DeskJet Plus HPDJET2 HPDJET3 HPLJET1 LaserJet Series II HPLJET2 HPLJET3 --------------------------------------------------------------------- IBM IBGRAPH1 Graphics Printer, Proprinter IBGRAPH2 Part 2 continues the printer support list &CWH63Printer Support List 2 of 2 Manufacturer CWP Name Model Name / Description ============ ======== ======================================= NEC NEP22001 P2200, P6/P7 Pinwriters NEP22002 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Panasonic PAKX1081 KX-P1080, KX-P1090 PAKX1082 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sanyo SAPR2411 PR-241 SAPR2412 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Tandy TADWP221 DWP-220 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Toshiba TOP13511 P1351 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Star STGM10X1 Gemini 10-X STGM10X2 &CWH64Error Messages 1 of 3 When Crossword Creator encounters an error, it informs you with a MESSAGE BOX. The text of the message will describe the NATURE of the error, name the DEVICE or FILE involved (if any), and show the error NUMBER. Common error messages are listed alphabetically below, along with the possible causes and remedies. If you encounter an error that is not listed, or if you cannot resolve a documented error yourself, contact PC HELP-LINE Technical Support. Can't load language file; insufficient memory --------------------------------------------- You don't have enough memory in your system to run CWC. The minimum memory requirement is 320K. You need to make more memory available to CWC. Number: 248 COMMAND.COM not available ------------------------- CWC could not create a DOS SHELL because it could not locate the DOS command processor. This is usually only a problem with floppy-based systems. Put your original boot disk back in the drive and try again. Number: 252 Device (device name) disk is write-protected -------------------------------------------- The disk drive named in the message has been write-protected. Remove the write-protect tab, or use another disk. Number: 70 Device (device name) drive not ready ------------------------------------ The disk drive named in the message was not on-line and available. Make sure it is powered up, and that the drive doors are fully closed. Number: 71 Device (device name) not ready ------------------------------ The device named in the message was not on-line and available. Make sure all your peripherals are powered up and ready. Number: 24, 25, 57, 68 Device (device name) out of paper --------------------------------- CWC is trying to use the printer, but it is out of paper. Try printing again after you've put in more paper. Number: 27 Disk (device name) is full -------------------------- The disk drive named in the message does not have enough free space to store the data you are trying to save. Use a new disk, or delete some existing files to free up more space. Number: 61 Part 2 continues the error message list &CWH65Error Messages 2 of 3 File (drive\path\filename) access error --------------------------------------- CWC attempted to alter or delete a "read-only" file, or violated a network access rule. Use a different drive\path\filename. Number: 75 File (drive\path\filename) input past EOF ----------------------------------------- CWC tried to read past the end of a file. Report this error to PCHL. Number: 62 File (drive\path\filename) not found ------------------------------------ The file named in the message does not exist. Check that the drive, path, and file names are spelled correctly. You may also have forgotten to use CWC's environment variables, or used them incorrectly, causing the program to look for its support files in the wrong directory. Number: 52, 53, 64, 76 File or device I/O error ------------------------ No explanation. CWC encountered an error it was not expecting. Report this error to PCHL. Number: 1-255 Language file (drive\path\filename) contains an invalid PCHL language code --------------------------------------------------------------------- All CWC language files are assigned a unique code by PCHL, once they have been thoroughly tested for compatibility. The language file you are trying to use has either not been tested, or has been corrupted in some way. Report this error to PCHL. Number: 251 Language file (drive\path\filename) incompatible with this version of CWC --------------------------------------------------------------------- All CWC language files contain a "version number" that corresponds to the internal version of CWC.EXE. The format of the language files has changed with each new release of Crossword Creator. You are trying to use a language file that is in the wrong format. Contact PCHL to obtain a "matched" set of CWC program and support files. Number: 253 Mach2 (memory type) Error ------------------------- This is a special "out of memory" error. It usually indicates that CWC did not (or could not) allocate enough memory for LANGUAGE, HELP, or CLUE data. Report this error to PCHL. Number: 244, 245, 246, 247 Maximum clues exceeded ---------------------- You have exceeded the upper limit on the number of puzzle clues imposed by the MaxPuzClues= configuration keyword. Save your puzzle, increase the MaxPuzClues= value, and exit the program. Start CWC again and reopen your puzzle. This should enable you to create more clues. Number: 250 Part 3 continues the error message list &CWH66Error Messages 3 of 3 No HELP available for this topic -------------------------------- A "header" record for this topic was found in the HELP file, but there was no accompanying text. Number: 243 No PRINT destination specified ------------------------------ You have not selected a printer definition file, or the *.CWP file you are using has no destination specified by the PrintDest= keyword. You must select a printer definition file to use BEFORE printing, and the PrintDest= keyword in the file must specify a device name or a file name. To select a default printer, update your CWC configuration file (CONFIG.CWC) by executing the CONFIGURATION function in CWC.EXE. Number: 255 No puzzles found ---------------- No puzzle files were found in the directory specified by the PuzDirName= configuration keyword. Check that the drive and path names are spelled correctly. To use a different directory, update your CWC configuration file (CONFIG.CWC) by executing the CONFIGURATION function in CWC.EXE. Number: 254 Out of MEMORY ------------- CWC could not allocate enough memory to run properly, or all available memory has been consumed by the text of puzzle clues. The minimum memory requirement is 320K. You need to make more memory available to CWC. Number: 7 Out of STRING SPACE ------------------- The text of puzzle clues has consumed all of the memory allocated for that purpose, approximately 40K. This is an absolute limit. Decrease the length of your puzzle clues. Number: 14 Pattern requires at least 2 tokens ---------------------------------- The WORDFIND search pattern you specified is less than 2 characters long. The minimum word length is 2 letters, so you must specify a pattern containing at least that many tokens. Number: 242 Too many words in the puzzle ---------------------------- Your puzzle is too complex for CWC to format properly. You will have to remove some words from the puzzle in order to continue. Report this error to PCHL. Number: 249 &CWH67Help File Print Utility - CWHPRINT.EXE PC HELP-LINE no longer supplies a typeset manual for Crossword Creator. Instead, the complete documentation has been made available on-line via the HELP TOPICS function. However, PCHL recognizes that not everyone suffers from DOCUPHOBIA. So, for those of you who really WANT to curl up in your favorite easychair with a copy of CWC's manual, you can easily produce one of your very own. CWHPRINT.EXE is stand-alone program that will read a Crossword Creator HELP file and print a custom manual, complete with numbered pages and a Table of Contents. It recognizes the same "/L=" command line parameter and the same DOS environment variables as CWC.EXE, so if you run CWHPRINT.EXE from the same directory as you do the main program, it should have no trouble finding your HELP files. The program formats the manual for a generic text printer at 59 lines per page, 80 columns per line. Printer definition files are not needed because there is nothing "printer specific" about the output. CWHPRINT.EXE will work with any printer that uses continuous forms or a cut-sheet feeder. Crossword Creator's documentation comprises some 60 pages, so be prepared. Read the "Installation And Startup" and the "Environment Variables (CWC= and WF=)" help topics for complete explanations of CWC's command line parameters and DOS environment variables. &CWH68Desktop Publishing Aid - CWDTP.EXE Crossword Creator's puzzle output cannot be used directly by desktop publishing programs like PageMaker and Ventura Publisher. It IS possible to "print to disk" in CWC, but the printer control codes imbedded in the output never import properly and CWC's "overprinting tricks" do not translate well. CWDTP.EXE is a stand-alone program that can read a specially-formatted puzzle file that has been "printed to disk", and produce a plain ASCII text version of the crossword. This "fixed" puzzle file can then be easily imported and manipulated by DTP applications. Instructions for using CWDTP.EXE are contained within the program. Simply run it and follow the directions.