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+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
+
+