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author | Karl Berry <karl@freefriends.org> | 2006-01-11 23:52:12 +0000 |
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committer | Karl Berry <karl@freefriends.org> | 2006-01-11 23:52:12 +0000 |
commit | b2539d622ace09a4c7321ffb749e0d15f92c6d28 (patch) | |
tree | 3bb8b17d6b8168243202366e5f022673233ed549 /Master/texmf-dist/source/latex/cwpuzzle/AcrossLite/README | |
parent | 4a7c88ec3ceec0d0f66d8af671597598ef213bf7 (diff) |
trunk/Master/texmf-dist/source/latex/cwpuzzle
git-svn-id: svn://tug.org/texlive/trunk@216 c570f23f-e606-0410-a88d-b1316a301751
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diff --git a/Master/texmf-dist/source/latex/cwpuzzle/AcrossLite/README b/Master/texmf-dist/source/latex/cwpuzzle/AcrossLite/README new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..8555f2a213a --- /dev/null +++ b/Master/texmf-dist/source/latex/cwpuzzle/AcrossLite/README @@ -0,0 +1,143 @@ +Here are three programs and a script for use with Gerd +Neugebauer's excellent cwpuzzle.sty package for typesetting +crossword puzzles in LaTeX. + +The purpose of the programs is to convert the popular +Across Lite(R) puzzle formats, both binary and text, to +LaTeX input suitable for use with Gerd's package. + +Build the programs like this: + +gcc -o nytconv nytconv.c +gcc -o nytsconv nytsconv.c +gcc -o usaconv usaconv.c + +1. nytconv + +This program converts Across Lite(R) binary puzzle files: + +nytconv puzzlefile.puz >puzzlefile.tex + +where of course 'puzzlefile' is the name of the binary +input file. The program is best suited to puzzles up to +size 15x15, which is the standard daily puzzle size for +the New York Times. NYT puzzles are distributed from their +web site in Across Lite binary format. The web site is +http://www.nytimes.com but registration (currently free) +is needed to access the contents of the site. + +2. nytsconv + +This program is very similar to the previous one except +it's for the larger Sunday puzzles, up to about 23x23. + +nytsconv puzzlefile.puz >puzzlefile.tex + +3. usaconv + +This program converts Across Lite(R) text files. Puzzles +such as the USA Today daily puzzle and the Times of London +daily puzzle are converted to LaTeX input via a two step +process. You should go to the Across Lite web site, +http://www.litsoft.com to pick up a USA Today conversion +program and a Times of London conversion program. You can +then pick up the puzzles (http://www.usatoday.com, or +http://www.the-times.co.uk), convert to Across Lite text form, +and then convert to LaTeX. + +usaconv puzzlefile.txt >puzzlefile.tex + +Well, you might say, what's the point? There are several. +I don't want to solve crosswords on screen; I want printed +copy to work with. So, why not just print from the Across +Lite program? Because (1) I'm a LaTeX fanatic, and more +importantly (2) I use an automated procedure to download +the NYT and USA puzzles every morning, format them, and +ready them for printing whenever I want a fresh puzzle! +The only work I have to do is to actually solve the +puzzle. (I don't have the skill needed to solve difficult +cryptics such as the Times of London puzzles so I don't +download them regularly.) + +Another important point is generating your own crosswords +with computerized tools. Tools such as Crossword Express +(http://www.puzzledepot.com/cwe) help you to produce +crosswords quickly and effectively. One of the output +format is Across Lite binary. This can then be converted +(with the nyt- or nyts- conversion program, depending on +puzzle size) and dropped into a LaTeX document. This is +nice for newsletters, educational material, etc. + +There is still another possibility using postscript tools +usually found on Unix systems. You might collect, say, +100 puzzles, convert them all to LaTeX input, and process +them. Then you can use tools such as psbook to make books +of puzzles to take along on boring business trips or +interesting vacation trips. + +For those of you with an interest, here is my automated +Perl script for downloading and formatting puzzles. It +requires the program 'wget' which can be found at +ftp://gnjilux.cc.fer.hr/pub/unix/util/wget/ +(This site is sometimes hard to reach. Keep trying. Or +contact me for alternatives.) + +Now, the script, which will require local site modification: +--------------- +#!/usr/bin/perl + +chdir("/usr/games/crossword"); +($sec,$min,$hour,$mday,$mon,$year,$wday,$yday,$isdst)=localtime(time); + +# NY Times + + $mpart = (Jan,Feb,Mar,Apr,May,Jun,Jul,Aug,Sep,Oct,Nov,Dec)[$mon]; + if ($mday lt 10){$puzzle = $mpart."0".$mday.$year;} + else {$puzzle = $mpart.$mday.$year;} + system("/usr/bin/wget --http-user=myname --http-passwd=secret http://www.nytimes.com/partners/xword/$puzzle.puz"); + if ($wday ne 0) {system("./nytconv $puzzle.puz >$puzzle.tex");} + else {system("./nytsconv $puzzle.puz >$puzzle.tex");} + system("/usr/bin/latex $puzzle"); + if ($wday ne 0) {system("/usr/bin/dvips -x 1400 $puzzle");} + else {system("/usr/bin/dvips -x 1100 $puzzle");} + system("/usr/bin/psnup -l -2 -pletter $puzzle.ps $puzzle.wps"); + system("echo \"quit\" >>$puzzle.wps"); + system("/usr/bin/gs -q -sDEVICE=laserjet -r300 -dQUIET -dNOPAUSE -sOutputFile=$puzzle.lj $puzzle.wps "); + system("gzip -9 -f $puzzle.lj"); + system("/bin/rm *dvi *ps *log *aux *tex"); + +# USA Today + +if ($wday ne 6 && $wday ne 0) { # no weekend puzzles + $month = $mon + 1; + if ($month lt 10) {$directory = $year."0".$month;} + else {$directory = $year.$month;} + if ($mday lt 10){$puzzle = "ut".$directory."0".$mday;} + else {$puzzle = "ut".$directory.$mday;} + system("/usr/bin/wget http://www.usatoday.com/life/puzzles/$directory/$puzzle.puz"); + system("./usa-acl $puzzle.puz $puzzle.txt"); + system("./usaconv $puzzle.txt >$puzzle.tex"); + system("/usr/bin/latex $puzzle"); + system("/usr/bin/dvips -x 1400 $puzzle"); + system("/usr/bin/psnup -l -2 -pletter $puzzle.ps $puzzle.wps"); + system("echo \"quit\" >>$puzzle.wps"); + system("/usr/bin/gs -q -sDEVICE=laserjet -r300 -dQUIET -dNOPAUSE -sOutputFile=$puzzle.lj $puzzle.wps "); + system("gzip -9 -f $puzzle.lj"); + system("/bin/rm *dvi *ps *log *aux *tex *txt"); +} + +exit; +-------------- + +For any questions, bug reports, or especially improvements, please +contact me: + +bnewell@btigate.com +http://www.btigate.com/~bnewell + + +Bob Newell +Bismarck, North Dakota +28 November, 1996 + + |