PAST UPDATES# # Versions 1.0, 1.01, and 1.02, had a problem when multi-word# phrases were edited. In such instances, spaces would appear in the printed# puzzle, this problem was corrected in version 1.1.# # Prior to version 1.2, a bug sometimes showed up when a word was# added to an already existing word list. If the new word entered was the# same as a word already in the list, the program would not reject the# second entry of the word as it was supposed to do. Thus, in that situation,# it would allow the same word to be in the word list twice and it would also# appear in the puzzle twice!# # In all versions before 1.3, it was possible for the program to hang# up during the creation of a puzzle if the user entered a word with a space# or hyphen following the word.# @# Starting with version 2.0, the program was no longer written in# Microsoft Quick BASIC(tm); instead, the entire program was rewritten in# Borland Turbo C++(tm). Many extra features were added in version 2.0 (see# following text under the title "NEW FEATURES COMMON TO THE SHAREWARE AND# REGISTERED VERSIONS").# # Since version 2 is an entirely new program written in a language# different from the one in which version 1 was written, there was no old# "tried and true" debugged code from the old program in it. Thus, much time# had to be spent debugging version 2 in its entirety. Even so, due to the# enormous complexity of the program, some things slid past the author in# earlier releases. In the registered user's edition there were nothing more# serious than a few cosmetic changes needed; i.e. no real bugs existed in# this edition. There were, however, a couple of quirks in the shareware# edition.# # The shareware edition of version 2 is really the same program as# the registered user's edition except for the fact that certain features have# been stripped out of the shareware edition. Unfortunately, a couple of bugs# appeared in earlier versions of the shareware edition due to the fact that# during the creation of the shareware edition from the registered users# edition, some routines occasionally used by the program were cutout. These# @# two errors were in these earlier releases despite the author's many repeated# runs of the program in an attempt to find errors before releasing the program# to the public. The problems only showed themselves under very special# conditions which, unluckyly, the author didn't happen to duplicate during his# tests. They are listed as follows . . .# # When the user typed in a wordlist using version 2.04 of the shareware# edition or an earlier revision, there was a problem that occurred under# special conditions. If more than fifteen items had been entered into the# wordlist AND the last item typed was longer than the item that was entered# before it, the last item would be displayed on the screen with extra letters# that were the trailing letters of the previous item. This was only an error# in the way the wordlist was shown on the screen during creation of the# wordlist. These extra letters only *appeared* to be added to the item. The# puzzle, wordlist, and solution would still print out properly on the printer.# This problem was corrected in version 2.10 of the shareware version.# # The only other real bug in the earlier revisions of the shareware# edition did not show itself unless a person printed a puzzle immediately# after saving it to disk. In this situation numbers would appear after the# puzzle name. If the puzzle was printed before it was saved OR printed after# it was reloaded from the disk, the problem did not occur. This error was# also corrected in version 2.10# @# STILL HAS THE FOLLOWING GREAT FEATURES!# # Follows rules laid down by word search puzzle magazines.# # Maximum number of items in word list - 200.# # Maximum number of puzzle lines - 100.# # Maximum number of characters allowed in a word - 65.# # Automatically strips spaces and hyphens from multi-word phrases in the puzzle# while leaving them in the word list (as professional puzzle makers do).# # Program automatically figures theoretical optimum width and height of the# puzzle. The user doesn't have to enter dimensions.# # Program automatically "resizes" the puzzle if it finds the theoretical# dimensions are inadequate.# @# Actually "circles" words in the solution sheet! Rough circling mode will# work even on printers without graphics capability (such as daisy wheels)# given that the printer in question has backspacing capability. A "smooth"# graphics circling capability is available in the registered user's edition.# # Program will make most or all of the words in the puzzle interlock at common# letters. This can result in puzzles that are up to 50% smaller than those# produced by programs that do little or no interlocking.# # Does not allow the user to enter the same item into the word list twice.# # An easy-to-use word list editor.# # Word lists may be sorted in alphabetical order.# # Program will reverse words in puzzle at random.# # Ensures puzzle will have at least one word in each direction as long as the# word list has six or more items.# # Program reports names of all puzzle files on disk.# @# NEW FEATURES COMMON TO BOTH THE SHAREWARE AND REGISTERED EDITIONS# # Program automatically detects type of monitor and monitor driver card.# # Puzzle regenerator can decrease or increase puzzle size by as much as 20%.# # Saves and loads puzzles faster.# # Saved puzzles take up less disk space.# # Puzzles can now be deleted from disk without exiting the program.# # Alphabetical sorting of word list can now be switched on or off.# # Computer can make a word list by randomly choosing words from a disk file# for totally "hands off" puzzle creation (this file has over 30,000 words in# the shareware edition, over 100,000 words in the registered user's edition).# # Word list is printed in multiple columns on the same page with the puzzle.# # Program can use math coprocessor, if present, to lessen puzzle creation time.# # Mouse driven menus.# @# FEATURES FOUND ONLY IN THE REGISTERED USER'S EDITION# # Does "smooth" circling of words on most dot matrix printers.# # Puzzles can be printed using NLQ and LQ capabilities of most dot matrix# printers.# # Puzzles can be printed as ASCII files so that you can load them into your# favorite word processor!# # When the automatic word list creator is enabled, the user can choose a size# range for the words the computer randomly picks. No such control is allowed# in the shareware version.# # The program can be told to produce a simplified "children's puzzle" with# words only in horizontal and vertical directions, no letter sharing, and no# word reversing.# # Can automatically spell check English words *as you enter them* with a# dictionary containing over 100,000 words (this feature requires a hard# drive).# @# When a previously created puzzle is loaded from disk, the program settings# which were in effect when the puzzle was saved are automatically# reinstituted. This feature helps the user to avoid character set and printer# conflicts which can cause "garbage" characters to be printed in the puzzle# or solution.# # Allows creation of puzzles using your choice of the following language# character sets: English, French, Spanish, Italian, or German.# # If the English spell check is on and a character set other than English is# chosen (i.e., French, Italian, etc.), the spell checker is automatically# turned off to prevent foreign words from being reported as misspellings.# # The program will automatically regenerate the solution sheet of a puzzle in# memory if a change in printer type requires the solution sheet to be shifted# from rough circling to smooth circling or viceversa.# @# FUTURE UPDATES# # Smooth circling on HP Deskjet and Laserjet printers (will only do rough# circling on these two types of printer at present).# # A bunch of other features I ain't tellin'.# # # FUTURE OPTIONS TO BE OFFERED AT EXTRA COST# # French spell check dictionary.# # Spanish spell check dictionary.# # Italian spell check dictionary.# # German spell check dictionary.# # Automatic word list generator for each of the above dictionaries.# %
