


                     C R O S S   W O R D   F I N D E R
                                     
                                     

                                Version 1.4





























                      (c) 1994 Iambic Software, Inc.
                            All rights reserved
                                     

   


INTRODUCTION

     CROSS WORD FINDER is a word-search program designed especially to make
writing crossword puzzles easier and faster. Its primary purpose is to
generate a list of words that match a specified length and letter pattern
(in case, for example, you need a five-letter word that starts with "a" and
has "j" as the third letter). A source list of over 200,000 words is
provided with the program, but you may also create your own source list
(see ALTERNATE FILES). CROSS WORD FINDER can also be used for solving
crossword puzzles, but we do not provide definitions--that's up to you.
When creating crossword puzzles with CROSS WORD FINDER, you will probably
need an unabridged dictionary to write clues for unfamiliar words.

     System requirements:

          IBM PC/XT or above
          Less than 100k RAM
          DOS 2.0 or above
          Printer on LPT1 port (for print option)
          Hard disk drive with 4 million bytes free for installation
               (After installation is completed, only 3 million bytes will
be used)

     Features:

          Comes with source list of over 200,000 words
          Users can make alternate files for their own source lists
          Prints search results as hard copy
          Supports non-compatible video on some computers
          Operates with hot keys and windows
          Supports color monitors

A WORD ABOUT SHAREWARE

     Shareware is a marketing technique that allows and encourages free
sharing or copying of programs as a method of distribution. This practice
benefits both users and developers. Users can test programs and become
familiar with them before deciding whether to buy them. Shareware programs
are usually less expensive than commercial software because there is very
little advertising expense; most of the price you pay actually goes to the
developer. However, none of this would be possible if the users did not do
their part by paying for the programs they decide to use. We who write
shareware depend on the good faith of you, the user, for our profit. When
you pay for this and other shareware programs, you allow developers to
continue making high quality, low-cost software available to everyone.

LEGALITIES

     CROSS WORD FINDER is shareware (see A WORD ABOUT SHAREWARE, above). It
is not public domain, nor is it free. You may test this program for 30
days. If you decide to use it on a regular basis you are expected to
purchase it. We encourage you to copy this program and give it to anyone
who would be interested in it, but please be sure all documentation and
files are included in the copy.

     DISCLAIMER:  Use CROSS WORD FINDER at your own risk. The author does
not warrant the suitability of CROSS WORD FINDER for any specific purpose,
and assumes no responsibility for damages of any kind resulting from its
use.  Use of these programs for any period of time constitutes your assumed
acceptance of this agreement.

     DUPLICATION:  Shareware distributors may not charge more than $8.00
per diskette to distribute this product.

USING CROSS WORD FINDER

     To use CROSS WORD FINDER:

1.   Select the directory in which you have installed CROSS WORD FINDER
(CWF) by typing the DOS CD command at the C:\> prompt.
     Example: C:\>cd\cwf

2.   To start the program, at the C:\CWF> prompt, type CWF. The default
mode of operation assumes that your video screen is IBM-compatible. If your
video screen is not IBM-compatible, you will need to use the -ndv option.
At the C:\CWF> prompt, type CWF -ndv. In the -ndv mode, CWF should work
with all computers but may run more slowly than in the default mode.

3.   The first screen you will see is the HELP screen. This screen lists
the key combinations, or "hot keys," which operate the program. (To use the
ALT keys, press the ALT key on your keyboard and at the same time press the
letter key indicated.)

     Hot keys used in this program:

     ESC              Stops the word display, then exits the program. Use
ESC when you have finished searching, or when you want to interrupt your
search or begin again.
     ALT-P          Prints results of search as hard (printed) copy as it
is displayed on the video screen. When you use ALT-P, your printer must be
hooked up on your computer's printer port LPT1 and should be ready to
print. If the printer is not ready, the program will "lock up" and you will
be unable to do anything else until the program is able to finish printing.
To stop printing, press ALT-P a second time.
     ALT-F          Allows searching of an alternate word list. (See
ALTERNATE FILES, below).
     ALT-I           Displays program information
     ALT-H          Displays the help screen.
     ALT-X          Exits the program.

4.      To remove the help window and begin your search, press any key. The
next screen that appears will be the display screen. In the small window in
the upper lefthand corner (the input window), type the word mask, or
pattern, you wish to match. The word mask should contain the letters you
want to match in the proper positions; the rest of the letters should be
indicated with asterisks. For instance, suppose you want to find a nine-
letter word with "a" as the second letter, "s" as the fifth letter, and "d"
as the last letter. In the input window, type:

     ?a??s???d

     The program will begin searching as soon as you press ENTER. In the
large window on the right (the output window), this list will appear:

     BACKSWORD
     BANDSTAND
     CAISSONED
     DACHSHUND
     FAIRSTEAD
     FARMSTEAD
     HANDSTAND
     HARDSTAND
     LAMPSTAND
     LANDSHARD
     MARASMOID
     PARASOLED
     SATISFIED
     WARDSMAID
     WASHSTAND
     WATHSTEAD

     If you have pressed ALT-P, the words will also print on your printer
at the same time as they appear in the output window. If the search finds
too many words to fit in the output window, the program will pause so that
you can read the words it has listed. Then you can either continue the
search by pressing ENTER, or begin a new search by pressing ESC. While the
program is searching, the word "SEARCHING" will flash on the screen. When
the search is finished, the cursor will return to the input window. At that
point you may begin another search or press ESC or ALT-X to end the
program.

ALTERNATE FILES

     You can customize CROSS WORD FINDER by creating your own source lists,
or alternate files, to search from. This is especially useful if you want
to develop "theme" crossword puzzles. CWF comes with a program (called
CWFL) that takes words out of any document which already exists and enters
them into a word file similar to the original word list we have provided.
The document can be anything from a list of words to an article or book
that has been entered onto a computer disk.
     To create an alternate file, you must have the document you wish to
use already entered on your hard disk drive. Once you have entered the CWF
directory (see USING CROSS WORD FINDER, above) and see the C:\CWF> prompt,
type CWFL.
     The next screen contains a brief summary of the CWFL program. At the
bottom of this screen, another C:\CWF> prompt will appear. Type your
command using this format:

     C:\CWF>cwfl [\path\]infilename.ext [-i] [-ffilename]

     Brackets indicate which parts of the command are optional. A step-by-
step explanation of this format, as follows, may help clear up any
confusion:

     cwfl                    Starts program.
     [\path\]               You will want to specify a path name if the
document you are using has been entered in a different directory. (For
information about path names, consult your DOS manual).
     infilename          The name of the input file (document) from which
you want to extract words. If you want to use more than one input file at a
time, enter all the file names. CWF will take words from all the input
files without duplicating words.
     .ext                     The file extension of your input file
(usually .TXT or .DOC).
     [-i]                     A word file created for CWF is actually two
files. The program first creates a work file, called an ISAM file. Every
time CWFL is executed, the words from the input file are added to the same
ISAM file until the output file name is changed. As words are entered into
the ISAM file, they are sorted by word length and alphabetical order. Once
the ISAM file is complete, it is used to create a final word file. The
command -i allows you to make the ISAM files only, without building the
final word file. ISAM files created with -i can be built into final word
files at any time. If you have an input file ready to make an alternate
file but don't want to take the time to set up an entire word file, use the
-i option. However, you will not be able to use this file with CWF until
the final word file is complete.
     [-ffilename]        If you do not enter a name for the output (final)
file, the default file name will be CWORDS. The -f command allows you to
create your own file name.

     When the file is complete, the prompt C:\CWF> will appear again. Type
CWF to return to CROSS WORD FINDER.
     Once the alternate file has been created, it can be called from the
input/output screen of CWF by pressing ALT-F. A window will appear in the
lower part of the screen, allowing you to enter the alternate file name. If
you wish to return to the original word file, press ALT-F again and enter
WORDS as the file name.

SUPPORT

     Registered users may obtain support via postal mail from the address
below, or by electronic mail from the COMPUSERVE network. As a registered
user you will receive the current version of CWF, and if there is an error
in the program we will send you a corrected version. Registered users will
receive the latest version of both CWF and CWFL along with the printed
instructions.  Please report any problems to us, and we welcome your
suggestions.

     Postal address:

               Iambic Software, Inc.
               6607 West 77th Street
               Overland Park, Kansas  66204

     Compuserve ID:

               70541,3215

REGISTRATION

     Business users are required to register a copy of CWF for each
computer system using the program. Home users are required to register a
copy for each household using the program.

CHANGE HISTORY

09/12/1991      Initial release at version 1.2

06/28/1992      Converted CWF and CWFL to C++ from C.  Added color to CWF.
Released as version 1.3

09/10/1994       Change of address, change wildcard letter to `?'.

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                         CWF 1.4 REGISTRATION FORM

     QTY                                            extended  price

     ___  Coss Word Finder + CWFL file loader     @ $20.00     ______

          Kansas residents add 4.9 percent sales tax,          ______
          Overland park 6.5 percent
          Ia, Il, Mn, Mo, Ne and Sd also include sales tax for your
          state.

          Shipping cost is included.

          TOTAL                                                ______





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     _________________________________________________________________

     City _________________________ State _______________ Zip ________

     Phone/E-Mail ____________________________________________________

     Where did you obtain your copy of Cross Word Finder?

     _________________________________________________________________






     Mail payment to:



               Iambic Software, Inc.
               6607 West 77th Street
               Overland Park, Kansas  66204

