TESTIMONIALS

Your program is easily the best thing that has ever happened for crossword constructors.

- Nancy Salomon

..it's brilliant. As a teacher I use it at least a couple of times a week and the kids I teach love the crosswords.

- Shaun Donnelly

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Information

-Vocabulary puzzles

-Newspaper puzzles

-Other puzzle styles

-Web publishing

-User support/updates

-About us

Extras

-Dictionary/thesaurus

-Professional Grid Filler

-Additional word lists

Other sites

-Crossword Puzzles

-WordWeb Pro

What's New: version 8

Crossword Compiler 8 has many new and improved features, with new support for word search puzzles, integrated web publishing, enhanced export features, theme word fitting and much more.

Video Tour

Word Search Puzzles

Automatically make shaped or rectangular word search puzzles. The program will try to use as many of your words as it can, giving you the option to view and choose alternative fills. In addition the program will automatically check against a blacklist of words to avoid; this ensures your puzzles don't accidentally contain potentially embarrassing words.

You can also target a 'hidden word' - some word or phrase spelt out by the letters that are not part of any of the search words.

Print/Export Worksheet   New print, print preview, and PDF export features can produce neat multi-column one-page output for solving.   Also new export options support for extended EPS, PDF and JPEG files, and new portable documented XML file format.   Sample PDF file.

Integrated web publishing

The program now comes with a on-line puzzle hosting account at crossword.info - upload your puzzles in seconds directly from Crossword Compiler. The web site automatically supports the Save and Submit applet buttons, and can even collect and mark people's answers for you. You also get a public web page optionally listing all your online puzzles (sample). You can of course also export files for use on your existing web page as before.

The interactive solving applet has also been significantly enhanced and now supports almost all puzzle styles, including word searches, clues-in-squares, key words, multi-letter squares and rebus puzzles. The applet uses a new document standard XML file format allowing advanced web-processing if desired.

Read more...

Pro Grid Filler - Fit theme words

Scan all available grid patterns to find ones that will fit all of your theme words. You can then view the possible arrangements and chose the one you like best.

There's also a button to fill around the theme words with words from the main word list. If it's not possible you are returned so you can chose another pattern.

There are options to chose whether words are placed randomly, in order, and/or symmetrically.

WordWeb Pro 5   The optional English thesaurus-dictionary add-on has a major upgrade, with thousands of new words, one-click look up in any Windows program, integrated web-reference tabs and more. Read more...

New word lists and templates

There are many new shaped grid templates, and several new and updated theme word lists including: Bible, books, environment, movie stars, famous people, global warming, internet, sustainable energy and writers. The compounds and phrases, uncommon words, and movies optional additional word lists have also been updated, and there's a new large list of millions of words from the Wikipedia encyclopedia (not suitable for grid filling).

Clue editing and database   A sample American clue database is now provided with basic English clues. In addition you can now use subscript and superscript in clues (useful for chemistry and mathematical puzzles), and the clue database interface lets you view several clues at once.

Other features

There are numerous improvements and new features in many parts of the program, including:

• Check for accidental words in the grid
• Avoid repeating words and sub-words when generating puzzles
• Re-size existing grids
• Select Key Words in the grid (circled squares, see online sample)
• New toolbar to change Edit/Puzzle/Solution view and zoom easily
• Add background pictures to letter squares (e.g. rebus puzzle)
• Applet support for clues-in-squares puzzles (sample)
• Use longer multi-letter squares
• Check clue-square grids for un-clued words
• Clue square editor buttons to move to next/previous clue
• Option to include clues squares in the solution
• Export of grids as PDF and EPS with font embedding/pictures
• Add and edit additional puzzle metadata
• Applet Pencil button and option for graphical buttons
• Embed title and copyright in the applet file
• Pro Grid Filler option to avoid repeating substrings
• Pro Grid Filler tweaks and minor bug fixes
• Set AutoFind word list selection for all puzzles
• Updated and improved default word list
• Support for Windows Vista

Puzzle files, word lists and clue databases from previous versions are fully compatible with this version. Unless you use new features the puzzle file format is also downward compatible.

Technical requirements

Crossword Compiler 8 will run on Windows 98 and higher, and has no special requirements. For best results with word search puzzles Windows 2000/XP or higher is recommended, and for some output options Windows XP SP2 and higher is recommended.

Ordering

To buy version 8 please see the ordering page. If you have an earlier version you can upgrade.

New since version 6

For details of the many new features since the older version 6 see this What's New page.