CROSSWORDS SOLVE & CREATE
The ENIGMA V.8 program may help when creating new
Crossword puzzles or solving those found on newspapers and specialized magazines.
Its most significant function is the ability to
complete a Grid segment (across or down) using the letters already existing;
to do that ENIGMA uses its own Dictionaries.
The program is delivered with three Dictionaries but the user may increase the
available words adding his own lists.
For instance, for the 38-Across here shown, the program may suggest both
simple answers like: DESKTOP, POSITED, VISITED, VISITOR, and sophisticated:
The ENIGMA program gets its suggestions fron a basic
English vocabulary with more than 45,000 entries, a rough encyclopaedia about 15,000 items dealing with
history, geography, animals, plants, medicine, and arts, and a small customer dictionary with few items (about: world
currency names, some literary terms, newspaper/magazine heads) as a plain text
file that can be increased or used as a model for other additional user
Dictionaries.
Another sample. For 5-Down the program does not
find any suitable answer, but it can discover, for instance, that, trimming the
last two Cells, three words are suitable: RAINCOAT, SAILBOAT, and (from the
encyclopaedia) also GALLABAT.
Conversely, trimming the first three Cells there are:
All Suggestions are listed in a listbox side by side the Crossword Grid,
and the user can easily transfer the one he chooses to the corresponding Grid
area.
Obviously the program provides function for modifying, cancelling, and
undoing-redoing of the last changes on the Grid.
Other functions:
- Thesaurus: this function is useful to solve existing Crosswords. The ENIGMA program uses the Thesaurus of Microsoft
Word that must be activated from the Tools menu (it must be installed,
obviously). The program lists the existing synonyms and antonyms of the word
specified by the user.
- Spelling: this function requires that Microsoft Word should be
activated too. The program asks Word to control the spelling of the user typed word. When wrong, a list of
some possible correct alternatives appears.
- Anagrams: this function is not related to Crosswords but can be useful
for that sort of puzzles. The ENIGMA program uses its own nr.1 Dictionary only.
- Convert to Microsoft Word document: both the Crossword Grid and a
proof of the Clues. The related ENICONV
program uses Microsoft Word Thesaurus looking for synonyms and/or antonyms of
each pattern of letters and produces a normal *.doc file, that the user can
correct, complete, improve and print.
To know more:
Program Instruction with two step-by-step samples
Sample
of conversion of an ENIGMA *.eni file into a MS WORD document
Download instruction
If this programs hold your interest, you can
freely download the ZENIGMAV8.zip (about
Un-zip the first file in a folder of yours: it
includes a Setup.exe standard procedure, the ENIGMAV8.exe program, its ENIGDLL.dll
and the standard Dictionaries (base.diz, encic.diz , various.dic). Run the
Setup, choosing a preferred application folder (i.e. C:\EnigmaV8) and take care
to not replace current versions of any System function (ocx, dll …).
The second zip file includes just the ENICONV8.exe program: un-zip it and
conveniently copy it in the same application folder (i.e. C:\EnigmaV8).
Prerequisites
Microsoft Windows XT, or up. If you use
Microsoft Windows Vista you have to start the programs with Administrator permissions
(right-click a program icon and select this option).
Both programs have been developed with
Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 and its standard controls. In case you miss any of
those, you can download it from various websites (write its name in a Search
Engine).
When you have any doubt, use F1 to access the
full Help on Internet.
Usage conditions
The programs can be freely used for personal
not-commercial purposes, providing that every copyright and author information
is integrally maintained.
Have fun!
© Copyright Giorgio Altichieri - 5/2004,
10/2009. All rights reserved.
