
                 ClassWord Program Manual

ClassWord  is  a  word-square puzzle creator that hides a 
list of words within a square of random letters.

ClassWord   randomly   places   the   words   vertically, 
horizontally, diagonally, forward, and backward!

Once  created,  the  puzzle/solution  may  be reviewed on 
screen and printed on your printer.

You  can  also  create and save as many word lists as you 
wish to use again and again. 

                   Program Requirements


ClassWord requires the following:


*  Any IBM or compatible 


*  => 256k RAM


*  => DOS 2.0


                     Program Features

A  context-sensitive  help  screen/scrollable  manual  is 
always available by pressing the <F1> function key.

Use  of  a  color  or  monochrome screen is automatically 
detected and the proper adjustments made.

The  intuitive  "point-and-shoot"  method  is the primary 
means of user selection and input.

User  input  boxes are word processor capable, with arrow 
cursoring, insert/overtype/delete functions, etc.


                     The Main Screen

At  the  Main  Screen  you  can review the available word 
lists.  From here, you can-

*  Select a word list for creating a puzzle      <ENTER>

*  Create and save a list of words                 <Ins>

*  Modify any word list on file                     <F5>

*  Delete any word list on file                    <Del>

*  Quit the Program                                <Esc>

                   Creating a Word List

You  may  enter from 1 to 20 words.  All words must be at 
least  3  characters long and contain no spaces.  You may 
also  enter an associated definition, although this entry 
is  optional.   When  you  are finished entering the word 
list, press the <F10> key.

Once  you  have finished entering your list of words, you 
are  asked to specify a label to save the list by.  After 
the  list of words is saved, you are returned to the Main 
Screen  where you can then create a puzzle using any word 
list  on  file  that  you  wish by highlighting that word 
list and pressing the <ENTER> key.

                  Modifying a Word List


If  you  highlight  a  word  list  in the Main Screen and 
press  <F5>, you can then add, change, or delete any word 
or definition in that word list as follows:


*  Add a word to the list                          <Ins>

*  Change a word or a definition in the list        <F5>

*  Delete a word or a definition in the list       <Del>


                   Deleting a Word List

A  word  list  can  be  deleted  from  the Main Screen by 
highlighting the word list and pressing the <Del> Key.

The  program will beep twice and a message will appear at 
the  bottom  of  the  screen displaying the word list you 
want  to  delete  and  asking you to confirm your choice. 
Here  you  must  press  either  the  letter  "y"  on  the 
keyboard to confirm, or "n" to withdraw.

If  you  press  the "y" key, the word list is permanently 
removed and may not be recovered.


                   Creating the Puzzle

When  you  select a word list in the Main Screen, you are 
asked  to  specify what size word square you wish to hide 
the  list  of  words  in.   When  you enter a square size 
choice,  the program will create the puzzle on the screen 
in  real  time as you watch.  The smaller the square size 
you  have  specified, the more difficult it is to fit the 
list  of  words  within that square.  If you chose a very 
small  square  size,  the  program  will  make  up  to 10 
attempts  to  create  the  puzzle, at which point it will 
offer  you  the  options  of trying once again, resetting 
the  square  size,  or  simply giving up and returning to 
the Main Screen.

             Displaying the Completed Puzzle

When  the  program  successfully places the list of words 
within  the word square, you are presented with a display 
of the puzzle on the screen.  At this point, you may:

*  View the puzzle/solution (toggle key)            <F3>

*  Print the puzzle on your printer                 <F5>

*  Redo  the  puzzle with the same set of words
   if  you're  not  happy with the placement of
   the words, or want to change the square size     <F8>


                     Printing Options


If  you choose to print the ClassWord puzzle, the program 
will ask you to indicate:

*   whether  you  want the words or the definitions to be 
    used  in  the  reference  list  printed on the puzzle 
    page.

*   how many copies of the puzzle you want to print.

*   whether you wish to have a solution page printed, and 
    if so, how many copies you want.




                   Quitting the Program


If  you  choose  this option at the Main Screen, you will 
be asked to confirm.

Upon  entering  "y",  the  program  exits to DOS.  If you 
entering  "n",  the  program  will resume the Main Screen 
options.



                  Notes on Classroom Use

ClassWord  provides a very effective method of conducting 
a  variety  of  educational  exercises  because  students 
respond  positively  and attentively to the entertainment 
and challenge of this type of learning tool.

Once  you start using ClassWord regularly, you will begin 
to  appreciate  and  use the application flexibility that 
lends   ClassWord  to  almost  any  type  of  associative 
learning task.

The  key  to this flexibility is that each word in a list 
can  be associated-- at your option-- with a "definition" 
field,  and  you  decide  whether the reference list on a 
printed  puzzle  is  to  be  the words themselves, or the 
associated  definitions.   This allows you to design word 
squares   in   a   variety  of  ways  according  to  your 
particular educational goal.

This  opens  applications,  for  example,  for vocabulary 
and  spelling  exercises  where the words are hidden in a 
square  and  the  definitions comprise the reference list 
on the puzzle page.

In  foreign language classes, word squares can be created 
using  foreign words with English language "definitions", 
or vice-versa.

In  geography  classes,  you  can  create a list of world 
cities  with  the  appropriate  country  referenced  as a 
definition, and so on...

As  you  can see by now, practical classroom applications 
can  be  designed  with  ClassWord in any subject matter, 
limited only by your creativity.

           Notes on ClassWord Program Design--

Programmers,   computer  students,  and  others  who  are 
curious  about  the design of algorithms used in programs 
like this may be interested in the following:

At  first  blush,  the  task  of  devising the algorithms 
necessary  to  create a word-square puzzle seemed to be a 
fairly  straightforward challenge with only a few logical 
factors  to  consider.   I quickly found, however, that a 
logical,  efficient  approach  resulted  in  the  program 
being  too  eager  to  reject attempts to create a puzzle 
with  diagonally  placed  words because of the difficulty 
such  words  created  when  the  algorithm  tried to find 
places  for the remaining unplaced words.  The result, of 
course,  was  that almost all the words were being placed 
in  either  vertical  or  horizontal  positions, which is 
quickly  predictable  and too easily solved.  So I had to 
devise  a compromising algorithm that would try harder to 
place  diagonally  positioned  words  without creating an 
unacceptable increase in processing time.

To  place  even  a  greater  burden  on  the algorithm, I 
realized  that  it  was  also  important to encourage the 
puzzle  creator  to  crisscross hidden words because that 
makes  the  puzzles more interesting and creative.  While 
the  coding  wasn't  as  difficult as I had first feared, 
even  the  most optimized code resulted in an increase in 
the  time  it  took  to  create  such a puzzle.  The real 
challenge  wound  up  focusing more on finding acceptable 
compromises  in  processing  time  than  on designing the 
algorithms used.

Taking  all of these considerations into account resulted 
in  a  program  that,  while it may not always create the 
most  difficult  puzzle  possible,  it  usually creates a 
challenging  puzzle  in  1 to 5 seconds (given moderately 
challenging  parameters).   Even under the most difficult 
circumstances  (many  long words of similar length, small 
square  size),  it  will create a puzzle, if possible, in 
less than a minute (depending on your computer's speed).

Even  10  seconds,  however,  can  be  a  long  time  for 
computer  users  who  are  used  to  instant  results  in 
standard  processing tasks.  The point of this discussion 
for  those  interested  in programming is:  If you have a 
processing  task  that  takes  more than a second or two, 
display  something  on  the  screen  to  keep  the user's 
attention.   When ClassWord is trying to create a puzzle, 
for  instance, it displays the puzzle as it is being made 
on  the  screen  in  real  time as ClassWord searches and 
finds  places  to  put  the  words, thus keeping the user 
informed  and  interested.   Remember that most people do 
not  like to stare at an unchanging screen wondering what 
is  a  program  doing and how long is it going to take to 
do it.

The  point  of  this discussion for the non-programmer is 
that  you will find that large puzzles are generally much 
quicker  to  create, more imaginative because the program 
has  more "breathing space" to be creative, and also more 
challenging  simply because there are more characters for 
someone  to search through-- on the other hand, it is fun 
to  give  ClassWord  some  very  difficult parameters and 
watch  it try to create an "impossible" puzzle.  Often it 
will surprise you and do it! 


ClassWord design            R. A. Delaroderie III
ClassWord source code       Rad Delaroderie IV


                End of ClassWord Help File
