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-   Nokia N800 (https://talk.maemo.org/forumdisplay.php?f=25)
-   -   Online crossword puzzles? (https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=17895)

terrencegf 2008-04-19 14:22
Re: Online crossword puzzles?
 
I'm working on the next release of xword which will be available from the garage for the first time. The original garage maintainer, Brad, came up with a very innovative solution to the keyboard problem before I created the xkbd layout. He used toolbar buttons within the application to input letters. I think this is a pretty clever idea and am thinking of incorporating it (and thus eliminating xkbd). My idea is to replace the current buttons (for "check word", "check puzzle", etc) with letter buttons. Screen real estate would be about the same. I think I can set up a preference menu to have the keyboard on the left or right of the puzzle, and perhaps alternatively show the current buttons left or right, like this.

Code:
Preferences ->
  Toolbar Layout ->
      o  Off
      x  Checks on Left
      o  Checks on Right
      o  Keyboard on Left
      o  Keyboard on Right
"Checks on Left" corresponds to the current layout. I think I would keep the timer at the bottom of the keyboard since there's really no other place suitable. And I suppose I could even add a "Keyboard on Bottom" for those people that use the rotated view. Any comments or suggestions on this idea? It will take a bit of research and extra coding so I'd like to make sure that people would like this (instead of xkbd).

terrencegf 2008-04-19 14:31
Re: Online crossword puzzles?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Addison (Post 171976)
Does this run really chunky for anyone else besides me?
Oh yeah! It's sloooow. It's a big script and I'm pretty sure the screen updating isn't optimized much. It's even a bear on my old computer at work, so it's not just the NIT.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Addison (Post 171976)
Anyway, I'm running XWord in full screen mode and I agree that it seems like it would have a better appearance if it went on the right side.
See my post about possibly putting the keyboard within the program by using toolbar buttons. That would address this issue, but require a lot of research on my part to make it work.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Addison (Post 171976)
How did you make those image files in .xpm format?
I've done it two different ways. First, I used the netpbm toolkit (a bunch of command line utilities) to transform from .bmp to .xpm using a script I found. But then I realized that Corel PhotoPaint (my paint program of choice) can write .xpm files, so I switched to that method.

Addison 2008-04-19 22:38
Re: Online crossword puzzles?
 
Quote:
Oh yeah! It's sloooow. It's a big script and I'm pretty sure the screen updating isn't optimized much. It's even a bear on my old computer at work, so it's not just the NIT.
Okay, thanks Terrence!

Yeah, I wasn't too sure if there was some unnecessary crud running on the tablet that was causing the slowdown.

I appreciate the response!

Well, my suggestion for the layout would be this:

X-Word being run in full screen mode
Maximize the full amount of real estate on the right side of the puzzle
Like start the keyboard flush with the edge of the puzzle all the way to the edge of the screen
I'd also would have three buttons per row instead of just two
That way the size for each of them will be much more friendly and I think it would have a better layout appearance with the direction keys as well.

The only downside on this would be people that are trying to run gianormous puzzles that are bigger than 21x21. Then I don't think that layout would work too well.

Anyway, I look forward to next year when you can figure out how to do the toolbar trick! :D

wsiebert 2008-04-20 15:46
Re: Online crossword puzzles?
 
Quote:
I'm not sure about the "Across Lite Notepad". There's certainly no code in the xword python script to read that info from the puzzle file, and I don't have any puzzles with that kind of data, so I wouldn't know what to look for. Do you have some .puz files with Notepad data? If so, do they read okay with the xword python script?
A good place to get a lot of puzzles with the Notepad in use is http://world.std.com/~wij/puzzles/cru/Crypticxxx.puz, where you replace xxx by a number between 1 and 238. These are British-style cryptic puzzles where the Notepad is used to explain how the answer was arrived at by the constructor.

btb 2008-04-21 09:04
Re: Online crossword puzzles?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by wsiebert (Post 172271)
A good place to get a lot of puzzles with the Notepad in use is http://world.std.com/~wij/puzzles/cru/Crypticxxx.puz, where you replace xxx by a number between 1 and 238. These are British-style cryptic puzzles where the Notepad is used to explain how the answer was arrived at by the constructor.
Wow, the first one I tried came out pretty weird, xword treats single squares as separate answers, but across lite doesn't. So Cryptic238.puz has 28 numbered squares in across lite, but 124 in xword. All the extra ones are just blank clues, so it ends up working anyway. A side effect of this is that it might make it a little more difficult to get at the notepad data, since without an accurate count xword just treats every string at the end of the file (including the notepad data) as a clue, and then throws away the ones it doesn't use. So it might be hard or it might not.


RE letters on the right: I'm right handed and they don't bother me on the left, but that sounds like a good idea to try.
We might even be able to fit a full qwerty layout on there in full screen mode, with most of the other toolbar buttons eliminated and the rest moved above/below the keyboard.

briand 2008-04-21 12:19
Re: Online crossword puzzles?
 
I'm pretty sure Litsoft made some specific changes in the AcrossLite software so that cryptic puzzles would be supported. If all you're trying to add support for, at this time, is viewing of the notepad, you might be better off finding a standard crossword puzzle with a notepad entry.

On another (related) note, I see that the Litsoft home page is bragging about a new (reasonably priced) PDA version. Unfortunately, it runs on Windows Mobile Pocket PC. :/

Maybe they'd be willing to sponsor development of an ARM-based version, so our Nokia tablets can have an "official" AcrossLite binary...

terrencegf 2008-04-21 13:03
Re: Online crossword puzzles?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by briand (Post 172545)
On another (related) note, I see that the Litsoft home page is bragging about a new (reasonably priced) PDA version. Unfortunately, it runs on Windows Mobile Pocket PC. :/

Maybe they'd be willing to sponsor development of an ARM-based version, so our Nokia tablets can have an "official" AcrossLite binary...
That 'new' Mobile PC version is over 2 years old, so they simply don't update their web page very often. I emailed LitSoft as to the availability of Across Lite for arm(el) processors but never heard back. All we can do is continue to email them in hopes that they respond.

briand 2008-04-21 13:20
Re: Online crossword puzzles?
 
heh.. I guess that shows how often I visit their web page, huh? ;)

I notice that there's an "official" Linux build there now, too. (The last time I visited, I downloaded a "test" version for Linux.) If the source were available, it's possible that the x86 linux version would compile for ARM in the sandbox... or, maybe we just need to convince somebody there to install the sandbox so that they can create an ARM binary...

brecklundin 2008-04-22 02:00
Re: Online crossword puzzles?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by terrencegf (Post 171980)
I'm working on the next release of xword which will be available from the garage for the first time. The original garage maintainer, Brad, came up with a very innovative solution to the keyboard problem before I created the xkbd layout. He used toolbar buttons within the application to input letters. I think this is a pretty clever idea and am thinking of incorporating it (and thus eliminating xkbd). My idea is to replace the current buttons (for "check word", "check puzzle", etc) with letter buttons. Screen real estate would be about the same. I think I can set up a preference menu to have the keyboard on the left or right of the puzzle, and perhaps alternatively show the current buttons left or right, like this.

Code:
Preferences ->
  Toolbar Layout ->
      o  Off
      x  Checks on Left
      o  Checks on Right
      o  Keyboard on Left
      o  Keyboard on Right
"Checks on Left" corresponds to the current layout. I think I would keep the timer at the bottom of the keyboard since there's really no other place suitable. And I suppose I could even add a "Keyboard on Bottom" for those people that use the rotated view. Any comments or suggestions on this idea? It will take a bit of research and extra coding so I'd like to make sure that people would like this (instead of xkbd).
I know I would appreciate something other than xkbd. Not sure if it's xkbd or just the IT0S08 issue of detecting screen taps, but I get lots of repeated characters, continuous 'scrolling' at times when navigating with the D-pad. If there is a way around this you might talk to Mischa (the dude who wrote FBReader) as he seems to have developed a workaround for the tap detection issue. I have not and likely will not look at the code but he did add an option for the software to detect not the initial tap but rather the release (key-up kinda thing instead of the key-down event). It fixed the whole issue. Also he added a use settable delay before another tap/key-press is detectable.

I mention FBR because there was an issue of the software scrolling through multiple pages, instead of one, on a single key press (D-pad) or screen tap. So maybe his solution could be integrated in xword.

BTW, I don't find xword very slow at all. It seems fine but then again I am a SLOW puzzle guy not someone solving them in a handful of minutes...like SOME PEOPLE AROUND HERE...snickersnicker... ;)

Also, I actually do not mind the keys on the left but it would be much nice if they would be on the right or left. but I use an Avery Triple Click Pencil/Pen/Stylus not the included stylus, Or even better...hehehe...some form of Graffiti type input area set on either the left or right side. While you are at it maybe rewrite xword to also take out the trash, pick up the laundry, do my grocery shopping and throw in the kitchen sink... ;)

And oh yeah, some of us prefer to solve in lower case...I am not sure why I prefer it but I just do...that would be a useful setting too.

OK, I have a, thank the gawds, Monday puzzle to do...I could not handle a Friday or Saturday puzzle after the day I had. ;)

terrencegf 2008-04-22 04:25
Re: Online crossword puzzles?
 
1 Attachment(s)
Another update... Now at version 1.0.4

I've made so many changes to this program (and UN-made some of those) that I'm not really sure what's what anymore! I'm releasing this version here since I'm still figuring out the garage and how it works. I will eventually put up a proper web page for this project with screen captures and decent documentation (and yes, another release). Feel free to test v.1.0.4 and let me know if you encounter any glaring bugs.

Here's the changes I can remember for this version.
  • Replaced xkbd with a built-in keyboard. There's a new Preferences option called "Keyboard Layout". You can select the keyboard on the left/right, the old toolbar buttons on the left/right, or off entirely (which I think may be the default).
  • Fixed the bug when you scroll the window to the bottom and click on a cell resulting in the wrong word being selected.
  • Decreased the minimum box size so that a 21x21 puzzle can fit full screen.
  • Added some funtionality for the hard buttons. Zoom -/+ now does previous/next word. The "go back" button (which is really Escape) invokes "Check Word".
  • Clicking on the current "red" cell changes direction (Horiz <-> Vert).


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