), can be clicked on to save anything that
needs updating to disk. This includes puzzle, and in the full version, pool file, word
list and help management file. The button appears in grey if nothing has been changed.If any of these files have been changed, but not yet given a filename to save to, you will be prompted for the filename to save the file to in a dialog box.
If the file has not been previously saved, then you will be prompted for a filename. You can leave off the extension if you prefer (.xwd for puzzle files). You can also change the directory location of the file at this stage if you wish the file to be placed in a different location to the default.
If you use the same name and location as a puzzle file that already exists, this will delete the file that is already there permanently. If you try to do this, the program will warn you, and ask if you are sure you wish to do this. Click on Yes in response to this if you are, or No if you are not.
If you wish to save the puzzle to a different name / location, then click on the File menu, and click on the Save As... menu option. You will be prompted with a save dialog box. Type out your new filename / position / type of file here, and click on Save to save to a new location. All future saves will now be saved to this new location.
A template is the same as a normal puzzle file, except that when you open it, the link to the original template file is broken, so that when you try to save the file, it must be to a new file location - e.g. to a normal puzzle file.
This means that you can use a template file to store standardised settings - e.g. a grid pattern and colours - fill in the missing bits - e.g. clues and words - and save to a normal puzzle file without affecting the original template.
To save a file as a template:-
- Click on File menu from Main (grid) Screen
- Click on Save As... option from File menu
- Choose the location / filename for the template
- Next to Save as Type, click on the down-arrow on the drop-down list, and choose Puzzle Templates
- Click on the Save button.
A Distributable file is used primarily where you wish to send a puzzle file to somebody else without them being able to make changes to the puzzle. It helps protect the integrity and (if applicable) copyright of the work you have put into creating the puzzle. This security can be further improved by including a password in the properties section of the puzzle before you save. This prevents anybody from unlocking the puzzle to change it, if they possess the full version of the system, unless they have this password.
When a distibutable file is opened, the system automatically goes into 'test' mode, with no option to go back to 'amend' mode. In this mode, the user can view but not change the puzzle, and can fill in the blank puzzle grid without affecting the original copy of information on the grid. The user can save the puzzle again, in case his or she is half way through solving the puzzle, but only as a distributable type file.
Finally, a distributable file is encrypted using a fairly rudimentary algorithm - i.e. seasoned hackers would probably be able to de-encrypt the file with a little work, but for most users, this encryption renders the file unreadable by text viewers etc.
To save a file as a distibutable:-
- Click on File menu from Main (grid) Screen
- Click on Save As... option from File menu
- Choose the location / filename for the distributable file
- Next to Save as Type, click on the down-arrow on the drop-down list, and choose Encrypted Puzzles
- Click on the Save button.
You can copy the puzzle grid and associated clues to the clipboard, so that they can be pasted into another application - for example a Word Processor, Desktop Publisher, Web Editor, or Paint program.
To copy the grid and clues to the clipboard, click on the Edit option from the main menu on the main (grid) window, and click on the Copy Grid & Clues menu option. Alternatively, hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys, and press C.
This puts a copy of the clues on the plain text clipboard, and a copy of the grid on the bitmap clipboard.
To paste the grid (as a bitmap picture) into another application, first switch to the application and click on the Edit option from the main menu, and then click on the Paste Special... option. Choose the Bitmap or Device Independent Bitmap option, and click on OK.
To paste the clue text into another application, you would switch to the other application (e.g. Microsoft Word) and either click on the application's Paste or Paste from Clipboard button, click on the Edit option from the main menu and choose Paste, or hold down the Ctrl key and press V.
Some applications may paste the grid as default, and you may have to use Paste Special for the clue text. In this case, choose the Unformatted Text option.