CALICO Software Review
CALICO Journal, Volume 19 Number 2, pp. 472-487
Crossword Compiler Ver 5.02
Jack Burston - Temple University
Product at a glance
Product type Multilingual crossword puzzle generator
Language(s) Virtually any alphabetic language supported by Windows multilanguage
Level Any level
Activities Crossword puzzle solutions
Media Format WWW download or optional CD-ROM
Operating System Windows 95+
Windows (Web-based puzzles will run on Mac as well)
Hardware requirements PC 486+
RAM 16 Mb Hard Disk Space 10 Mb CD-ROM 2x speed (only needed to install program to hard Video disk) 256colors; 480 x 640
Supplementary Software Java enabled WWW browser if Netscape 3+ web-based puzzles are generated Internet Explorer 3+
Documentation On-line help file
Price:
Single User $45 Multiple Copies 5@ $175; 10@ = $290; 20@$490 Distribution Rights No restrictions/fees for distribution of puzzles Optional CD-ROM $15 Optional word lists $12.50 each for single user (Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Latin, Norwegian, Swedish, Russian)
General Description Crossword Compiler Ver 5.02 is a professional multilingual crossword puzzle generator which produces both printed output and interactive web-based puzzles. It accepts puzzle grid input from West European, East European, Cyrillic and Baltic languages, Turkish and Greek. Puzzle clues can likewise be written in any of these languages as well as double byte character systems (e.g. Korean), if the corresponding international version of Windows is used. It is, for example, possible to create bilingual crossword puzzles, e.g. French grid input with Russian clues.
Crossword Compiler offers an impressive variety of puzzle formats. There are four main types (Cryptic, American, Freeform, and Shapes) as well as four alternative templates (Barred, Clues in Squares, Coded, French Style). Each puzzle type allows the author to set the grid dimensions anywhere from 3x3 to 100x100. Moreover, the appearance of the puzzle grid can be fined tuned to select text font, the number of words/letters to include in a grid, square sizes, the kind of numbering to use, colors for blocks, letters, background of clues and lines, to mention just the most obvious.
There are two basic ways to create a puzzle. Using for example the Cryptic or American formats, one can begin by selecting in advance a grid pattern (words, letters and blocks) then fit words into the grid. Pre-determined grid patterns can either be completed manually or automatically by the computer. Alternatively, using the Freeform or Shape template, one can start with a set of words and then allow the computer to determine a grid pattern based on inclusion of a maximum number of words from the set.
The automatic insertion of words into any kind of puzzle grid is done on the basis of vocabulary lists. Crossword Compilercomes with two lexical inventories: Basic English (8,308 words) and a much larger Default English (114,081 words). Word lists for a dozen other languages may also be purchased. Judging by the word lists supplied for this evaluation, the number of entries in a lexical inventory can vary substantially: French (131,433 words), Spanish (85,882 words), Italian (60,389 words), German (25,909 words). The actual number of distinct lexemes in each word list is also considerably less than the total number of entries since the inventories contain many morphological variants of the same base form (e.g. different person/number/tense conjugations of a verb). According to the producer, the content of the word lists was determined more by availability of digital inventories than by any explicit selection criteria. The Crossword Compilerprogram includes a word list manager utility that allows words to be added and deleted from existing lists or new inventories to be created. It is, thus, very easy to create lists based on whatever criteria one wishes to use, e.g. relative frequency of occurrence, textbook glossaries, etc.
There is no printed documentation for Crossword Compiler, but on-line Help offers very detailed instructions on all aspects of the program's operation.
Evaluation Technological features Crossword Compiler operates only on a PC platform running Windows 95 or later. Web-based puzzles created with it can, of course, run on a Macintosh. On either platform, a Java-enabled web browser (Netscape 3+ or Internet 3+) must be installed to access the interactive puzzles.
A free 30-day demo version of Crossword Compiler can be downloaded directly from the producer's website (http://www.x-word.com). The demo is fully functional, although restricted in the range of grid pattern sizes it will produce. The full version of the program can also be downloaded from the web or obtained on a CD-ROM (for an additional fee of $15).
The downloading and installation of Crossword Compiler was straightforward and trouble free. The installation process also adds an uninstall option in the Windows Add/Remove Programs utility, which is a sine qua non of any well-designed program. Crossword Compiler was tested on a 266 MHz PC and a 400MHz Mac PowerBook running Virtual-PC Ver 3. On both computers it operated very quickly and never missed a beat.
The screen design of Crossword Compiler is clear and uncluttered; navigation is likewise quite transparent. With the exception of the manual creation of word lists, all functions are menu-based and produce results which are immediately reflected on-screen. Many menu options also have corresponding keyboard shortcuts.
Crossword Compiler is exceptional in its ability to handle alphabetic foreign language scripts, but as with all Windows based programs lacks any intrinsic operating system mechanism for inputting foreign characters. While support for western European languages is included in a standard Windows set-up, unless a foreign language version of Windows is already being used, it is necessary to install Multilanguage support to display other languages. For anything other than English, a corresponding keyboard layout must also be loaded in order to actually type foreign characters. The on-line Help within Crossword Compiler provides detailed instructions on how to do this, but it took this reviewer several attempts to get an eastern European language (Russian) up and running properly. To begin with, since a standard Windows installation doesn't copy the Multilanguage module to the hard disk, an installation CD-ROM must be available to access the necessary files. The user must also know enough about Windows to get into the right part of the Add/Remove files program (Setup) to transfer the Multilanguage module since it cannot simply be copied over from the CD. Similar complications affect the ability to load a foreign language keyboard layout, which first has to be installed from the Windows CD.
Once the operating system has been set up to handle foreign character scripts, Crossword Compiler itself needs to be configured to employ them. Because it is possible to use one language in the puzzle grid and another in the clues, two separate font selections must be made. One of these is tucked away within the Grid menu options, the other is buried within Clue properties. Anyone disinclined to read instruction manuals carefully is bound to come to grief trying to getCrossword Compiler to work with languages other than English. The technologically challenged would be well advised to seek assistance. That being said, once everything is installed and you know where to set the languages to be used, resetting them is not difficult.
This still leaves the problem of getting foreign characters into the puzzle grid and clues. Unfortunately, when foreign keyboard layouts are used, Windows provides no indication of the key/character mappings. Unless the particular national keyboard layout is known from some other source, the user must engage in trial and error discovery. Alternatively, the charmap.exe utility (which may also have to be transferred from the installation CD) can be used to rather laboriously copy and past characters. A third option is to enter the ANSI code (if known) of a character via an
The single biggest improvement that Crossword Compiler could make for foreign language applications would be to provide an internal user-friendly solution to the inputting of foreign characters. Fortunately, for users working on the web, it has done precisely this. Once completed, puzzles can either be printed out or converted into an interactive (java-based) web pr ogram. Filling in a web- based crossword poses the same problem of foreign character input as does the creation of the original puzzle. In fact, the situation is complicated by the restricted ability of web browsers to support foreign character systems. Crossword Compiler, however, avoids these difficulties by allowing a virtual keyboard to appear as part of the puzzle. All the user needs to do to insert a character into an empty square is to click on one of the letters displayed at the bottom of the screen (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Virtual Keyboard
The creation of an on-screen virtual keyboard is a two-step operation. While functional, and clearly explained within the on-line help, the procedure is not all that intuitive. Firstly, the character set which will eventually be displayed under the puzzle needs to be entered in an alphabet window located in a Language Specifics submenu of Clue properties. Secondly, the option to actually display the alphabet as a virtual keyboard must be activated from a Buttons menu buried deep within the File, Export Java, Applet Option. As can be observed in Figure 1, it is also possible to include in the puzzle an instruction to click on the letters to insert them into the grid.
Producing the final form of a crossword puzzle is as easy as it can be. Hard copy versions are just printed out. Creating an interactive web version requires no programming at all and is simply a matter of selecting menu options which, among other things, determine whether parts of the solution (individual letters, whole words, the entire crossword) can be revealed, whether entries are checked for correctness, and whether or not the virtual keyboard alphabet will be displayed (Figure 1). Providing puzzle authors have access to server-side programming to create the necessary CGI scripts, it is also possible to store users' completed puzzles for later retrieval.
On a PC platform, using Netscape 4.7 and Internet Explorer 4.5, web-based puzzles loaded quickly and worked perfectly. Similarly, on a Mac no problems were encountered with Netscape 4.7; but Internet Explorer 4.5 could only handle western European fonts and was unable to load or run the demo Russian crossword puzzle. Such incompatibilities are not uncommon with java-based applications and would-be purchasers are advised to check out browser compatibility if they intend using Crossword Compiler with other than western European writing scripts.
Authoring Features When Crossword Compiler is run for the first time, the screen opens with an empty grid in the background, and in the foreground appears a pop-up menu of format types for new crosswords as well as access to existing puzzles. The automatic appearance of this start-up menu can be made the default by just clicking on the appropriate option box.
Figure 2: Puzzle Formats
Because of the large inventory of words required to complete pre-determined grill patterns, for most pedagogical applications (where relatively small vocabularies are involved) it's advisable to use the less lexically demanding Freeform or Shape formats. The program comes with 10 ready-made grid shapes (including a boat, a house, a heart, and a Christmas tree) and allows the creation of as many more as an author cares to design.
Figure 3: Shape Format
Once the desired grid option has been selected, the next task is to fill-in the puzzle with the words which will become its solution. This is accomplished either by writing words directly into the grid, typing them into a word list window, or by selecting an existing lexical inventory.
Figure 4: Word Fill Options
Crossword Compiler operates with two types of lexical inventories. Those called Word Lists, such as the Basic English, Default English, and the separately purchased foreign language lists, contain many thousands of items and are compiled to save space. All entries in Word Lists supplied with Crossword Compiler are in upper-case characters and nearly all those for foreign languages are devoid of diacritics.
Each item in a Word List has associated with it a score value which can be set from 1-100. Word scores are used to filter the lexical items selected by the computer when automatically filling in a puzzle grid, e.g. to avoid vulgarities by assigning low values to these and setting the fill parameter to only use words with a higher value. For pedagogical purposes, this feature can be effectively used to control the difficulty level of a puzzle. Because they are compiled, Word Lists can only be viewed and edited from within the Word List Manager.
Figure 5: Word List Manager
The second type of lexical inventory is called a Theme List, which is a simple (ANSI) file that contains one word per line followed by a carriage return. These are intended for smaller vocabularies but can in fact can be used to store several thousand words, albeit at the cost of larger file sizes. Unlike Word Lists, lexical entries in a Theme List do not have an associated score value. On the other hand, Theme List entries can be written in lower-case or upper-case and display whatever diacritics are supported by the font used. Virtually any word processor capable of producing simple text files can be used to create a Theme List.
The Word Manager can convert a Theme List into a Word List for more efficient storage and assignment of score values. Interestingly, when a Theme List is converted into a Word List it retains its diacritics. Since it's also possible to convert any Word List into a Theme List, anyone who purchases a foreign language Word List lacking accents, can convert it to aTheme List, manually reinsert diacritics (a task which can be considerably facilitated with the use of a foreign language spell checker), and then reconvert it back into Word List which will then display accented characters.
When manually creating a list of words for a crossword, it's possible to create at the same time a corresponding list of puzzle clues (Figure 4). These, however, can easily be added (or re-edited) later, as they must be if words come from an external Word or Theme List. Crossword Compiler facilitates the writing of clues by maintaining any number of clue databases. Once clues have been associated with words in a puzzle, a menu option allows these to be stored (and combined with other clue lists) for future reuse. When editing clues in any puzzle, a window automatically displays existing word clue associations from whatever clue database has been selected.
The final form of a puzzle can be printed out in a variety of formats (Figure 6), e.g. with or without a header, just the puzzle, just the solution, with or without clues, etc.
Figure 6: Print Options
Besides its ability to operate across a wide range of foreign languages, Crossword Compiler is of particular interest pedagogically because of its ability to automatically transform crosswords into web- based puzzles. In its simplest form, this may be no more than a web page displaying a static image of the completed puzzle, for example to distribute a solution via the web. But it's also possible to generate interactive puzzles which allow users to input answers, peek at solutions, and check for correctness. Moreover, the on-screen buttons which control access to these functions, as well as an optional completion message, can be customized in whatever language is being used. Most importantly, as mentioned previously, Crossword Compiler also provides a means of displaying a virtual keyboard for the easy insertion of foreign characters. Activities (Procedure) For the crossword puzzle maker, Crossword Compiler is a facilitative tool which takes all of the drudgery out of the process of puzzle creation and, for those inclined to experiment, offers a vast array of puzzle formatting possibilities. Not only does it allow for the much more efficient production of traditional printed crosswords, but it is also innovative in its ability to automatically transform puzzles into quite sophisticated interactive web pages.
For a student user, there is but one activity directly associated with the output of Crossword Compiler, and that of course is the completion of a crossword puzzle. This is in essence an instructional procedure, more specifically a special form of text reconstruction. However, by its very nature, a crossword puzzle is also very much a game, and as such it lends itself well to collaborative activities. Providing that access is given to solutions and corrections, language learners attempting the on-line version of a puzzle can work with the computer program to flesh out answers. Whether a puzzle are in printed form or on-line, students can work together in teams to arrive at a solution.
The pedagogical focus of crossword puzzle activity very much depends on the ingenuity of the teacher. The most obvious, and traditional, use of crosswords is in the area of vocabulary learning, which of course also involves spelling and morphology. A less traditional, but equally valid, application would be to use phonetic transcription (in the grid or the clues) to reinforce the link between spelling and pronunciation. Moreover, a crossword can just as well be used to focus on sociolinguistic content as well as on form, with grid entries corresponding to answers to substantive questions framed as puzzle clues. As with the pedagogical focus of crossword puzzles, their place within the curriculum, whether they are mere distractions or central to curricular objects, depends entirely on the instructor. At one extreme, they may simply be kept in reserve for a bit of playful relief. On the other, they can substitute for homework or quizzes and be used as a catalyst for group activities.
Teacher Fit (Approach) In considering the issue of theoretical approach, it must firstly be borne in mind that Crossword Compiler is not at all marketed as a language learning program. In fact, its target audience is much more professional puzzle makers (e.g. for newspapers and magazines) than teachers. There are, therefore no implicit or explicit pedagogical assumptions underlying the program. The extent to which Crossword Compiler fits the methodological expectations of teachers depends entirely upon how they integrate the use of crossword puzzles into their curriculum.
Used for vocabulary building and reinforcement, crossword puzzle completion can be very structuralist in nature, with individual students focusing on words in isolation. And if it is the instructor who constructs the puzzle and chooses the vocabulary, then the activity by definition will be teacher centered. However, the lexical inventory used for a puzzle need not be arbitrary; it can easily be thematically based and involve quite extensive semantic interrelationships. Students need not work on puzzles in isolation either. In fact, anyone teaching within a socio-constructivist framework can use group based crossword puzzle solving as a scaffolding device to promote ZPD activities in which learners collaboratively pool their individual skills. Students, too, can be given the task of creating their own crossword puzzles, individually or in groups, and thereby turn the activity into a learner centered one. Whether solving puzzles or creating them, group work conducted in the target language also provides opportunities for task based communicative activities.
While vocabulary learning is the most common use to which crossword puzzles are put, there's no intrinsic reason why they cannot be exploited for other purposes. Used to draw out subject area knowledge, content based crosswords offer fertile ground for substantive student discussions in the target language.
Learner Fit (Design) Given the dual nature of Crossword Compiler, as an authoring tool for teachers and source of pedagogical activities for students, the question of learner fit really needs to address both potential groups of users. For teachers who want to learn how to use Crossword Compiler, no previous puzzle making experience is presupposed. If all that is required is the simple production of Freeform printed crosswords, those with basic word processing skills and familiarity with the Windows operating environment can learn to do so in very quick order, provided they take the time to read instructions carefully. As mentioned previously, there is one important caveat and that has to do with complications resulting from the use of other than western European languages. Once the initial learning curve is negotiated, the preparation time for the creation of crosswords is vastly less than it would be if done manually. While the many control parameters Crossword Compiler offers can at first appear quite daunting, all of them have pre-set defaults and so can be ignored until such time as curiosity or convenience deems otherwise.
The progression to the production of interactive web based puzzles can be made with the simplest of crosswords, i.e. it's not necessary to learn how to make fancy puzzles first. But again, those who read instructions first will find it far easier than those who try to just plunge into it. As with the creation of printed crosswords, users of non western European languages are likely to find themselves technologically challenged by the hurdles that have to be jumped getting web browsers to work correctly. Once a browser is properly set up, though, the actual production of web page crosswords is no more difficult than for English. Above all, it requires no programming expertise.
From the students' perspective, completing a crossword puzzle - whether printed or on-line - poses no technological difficulties. If students are going to be involved in the production of their own puzzles, the difficulty level of the task is essentially what it is for their instructors. Obviously, complications relating to the use of foreign language fonts should not be left for students to resolve. It would also be advisable for teachers to walk their students through the process of crossword puzzle creation; this is one area where teacher centered instruction definitely has its merits.
Like teacher fit, just how well crossword puzzle activities fit a learner's profile depends entirely on what goes into them and how they are exploited. Linguistic skill level, or content difficulty level, can be chosen to meet the requirements of any student, as can such features as age appropriateness and area interest. The response handling provided by the interactive version of puzzles is minimal. The only form of hint available is to reveal parts of the solution. Likewise, correctness is determined by exact string matching. The only form of explicit feedback is a congratulatory message which optionally appears upon completion of the puzzle. Notwithstanding, this suffices to keep students on track. Given the highly constrained environment of a crossword puzzle, more sophisticated response handling (e.g. fuzzy pattern matching, wild cards, etc.) would not serve much purpose. Depending upon whether students are completing puzzles or creating them, learner control over the activity parameters is either nil or total.
Summary Crossword Compiler is arguably the most sophisticated tool of its type for the creation of crossword puzzles. It combines enormous configurational flexibility with simplicity of use. For foreign language applications, it has the very great advantage of working with a wide variety of foreign language scripts and of being able to produce web based interactive puzzles. It is, moreover, to be commended for simplifying the task of inputting foreign characters to those puzzles. It does, however, have one noticeable shortcoming, and that is its lack of a user-friendly facility for the inputting of foreign characters in the puzzle creation process. It is to be hoped that future versions of the product will remedy this problem. Be that as it may, at $45 it is very good value for money for an individual license. Institutional licenses bring the price down further and, even better, allow simultaneous installation on a teacher's home computer as well as on the office desk top.
Scaled rating (1 low-5 high) Implementation possibilities: 5 Pedagogical features: 3-5 (depending on how it is used) Use of computer capabilities: 4 Ease of use: 5 (western European languages); 3 (other languages) Over-all evaluation: 4 Value for money:5
Producer Details Developer/distributor Name: Antony Lewis Address: 4 St. Mark's Court, Cambridge CB3 9LE, UK.
Fax: +44 870 0543925 Email: [email protected] WWW: http://www.x-word.com
Reviewer Information Jack Burston is the Director of Foreign Language Instructional Technologies in the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University, where his activities are particularly focused on the professional IT development of teaching faculty. He is a member of the CALICO Executive Board and the CALICO Editorial Board. For the past four years he has also been the Software Review Editor of the CALICO Journal and webmaster of the CALICO Review.
Reviewer Contact College of Liberal Arts Dean's Office 12th Floor Anderson Hall 1114 W. Berks Street Philadelphia, PA 11922
Phone: (215) 204-3678 Fax: (215) 204-3731 Email: [email protected]