
                     Xword font

This is a non-standard outline font aimed at
producing crosswords with ease. It is intended that
it should be used with a desk-top-publishing package
such as Impression. It assumes a line spacing of
120%, the default in Impression. It uses over-size
characters to ensure the crossword grid is printed
joined together both horizontally and vertically, as
such it is important that the "IntMetrics" file in
this font is not edited or re-saved as this would
destroy the vertical spacing. It is a scalable font
which must not be kerned and can therefore produce
puzzles with squares of any required size under
RISC OS 2 or 3. 

As many of  the normal characters required for
typing are not required in a crossword they have
been re-defined to provide the symbols and squares
used in crosswords. A list of all character
definitions appears at the end of this text. This
font produces the crossword grid by providing the
left and lower edges of each square, with one
keypress, where required, throughout the crossword.
Characters are provided to produce the top and right
lines to complete the grid. In addition characters
are provided to produce black squares and various
patterns. Heavy lines are also available to produce
those crosswords which require them instead of black
squares. Small raised numbers are also provided,
these are produced in conjunction with the <ALT> key
but do not take up any space horizontally on the
page so that other characters can be entered in the
same squares.

To permit the production of numeric puzzles all the
numbers are also provided as well as the basic
mathematical symbols (plus, minus, multiply, divide
and equals). As no lower case letters are required
the complete upper case alphabet and all the numbers
are provided twice:
  Without the <SHIFT> key or <CAPS LOCK> they all
     appear without any spacing being produced, this
     permits the addition of solutions to prepared
     puzzles without having to completely re-type
     the grid.
  With the <SHIFT> key (or <CAPS LOCK> for letters)
     the letters and numbers all appear in a
     standard square space with the left and lower
     edge of the grid included. This means that
     <SHIFT>7 which would normally produce an
     ampersand ( & ) will still produce the number 7
     but will also produce a line before and under
     the number.
The mathematical symbols, which will normally only
have little use, are only available in the
over-typing form without any spacing and must be
entered on top of an existing square. These appear
on the appropriately labelled key except for
multiplication which appears on the question-mark
key. Thus the keys  +   -   ?   /  and  =  produce
plus, minus, multiply, divide and equals.

To produce a crossword grid, first the top line is
typed using the <APOSTROPHE> key (just to the left
of the <RETURN> key), each apostrophe will actually
produce a line one square long. Following the
<RETURN> key each blank square is produced by typing
on the <SPACE> bar and each black square is produced
by typing a <FULL-STOP>. If shaded or patterned
squares are required these are also available; see
the descriptions and tables below. At the end of
each row a <SEMICOLON> will produce the vertical
line to close the final square, this should still
be used after a black square to maintain a straight
vertical line.

The numbers that the clues refer to can be added
either as the grid is produced or after the grid is
completed. The numbers will always appear in the
square immediately to the right of the cursor. To
produce a number hold down the <ALT> key and type a
three digit number on the numeric key-pad, only
release the <ALT> key after all three digits have
been entered. For numbers from 0 to 55 the first
digit entered on the numeric keypad should be a 2,
thus <ALT>205 will produce a small number 5 at the
top left of the square and <ALT>247 will produce 47.
For larger crosswords requiring numbers above 55
(there are no key numbers available above 255) each
digit of the required number must be entered
separately, using a different code for each digit
in each position within the number:
  For the first digit use <ALT>16x.
  For the second digit use <ALT>17x.
  For the third digit use <ALT>18x.
  For the fourth digit  use <ALT>19x.
Where x represents the required digit. Thus for 1036
enter <ALT>161, <ALT>170, <ALT>183, <ALT>196,
releasing the <ALT> key after each group of three
digits. This allows for crosswords with up to 9999
different starting points for the answers. To keep
the numbers left justified the first digit should
always use <ALT>16x irrespective of the length of
the number (<ALT>167, <ALT>172 would produce 72).
Note the <POUND> key (  ) is equivalent to <ALT>163
and will produce a first digit 3 and the shifted
version of the same key (  ) is equivalent to
<ALT>164 producing a first digit "4"

It is possible to produce complex shaped crosswords
and to use various designs to replace the black
squares. It is also possible to produce crosswords
that use thick lines to separate the answers instead
of black squares. These same thick lines can also be
used in producing a thick border. Shading can be
used to highlight certain squares or so that there
is not too much black on the puzzle. Considering
each of these possibilities:

Simple grey squares to replace individual black or
white squares:
 In addition to the space bar producing a white
 square and the full-stop producing a solid black
 square the following keys will produce simple
 single grey squares with the usual two edges:
   Open square bracket ( [ )
          produces a pale grey square.
   Close square bracket ( ] )
          produces a mid shade grey square.
   Back-slash ( \ )
          produces a dark grey square.
 Due to the limitations of the font manager, which
 does not support grey, these squares use a
 completely non standard method of simulating the
 shades of grey (short alternating diagonal black
 lines of minimum thickness). As a result of using
 this method the shades produced will vary with size
 and will differ on screen to those printed. A test
 of actual shade/effect should be made at the
 required size and with the appropriate printer
 before a large number of these squares are used.
 These squares can then be used to replace black
 squares or to highlight white squares as both
 numbers and letters can be over-typed on them.

Single patterned squares to replace black squares:
 To provide a bit of variety and interest many
 different patterned squares are available to be
 used in place of the black squares. Several of
 these are available on some of the unused keys on
 the keyboard, others can be obtained using the
 <ALT> key with three digit numbers:
  Acorn appears on
        reverse apostrophe key ( ` )
             (to the left of the digit 1).
  Concentric circles appear on
        shifted version of this key ( ~ ).
  Concentric squares appear on
        open curly bracket key ( { ).
  Concentric squares with rounded corners appear on
        close curly bracket key ( } ).
  Christmas tree appears on
        <ALT>128.
  Holly appears on
        <ALT>129.
  Diagonal lines sloping down to the right appear on
        <ALT>130.
  Diagonal lines sloping up to the right appear on
        <ALT>134.
  Nine squares in a block appears on
        <ALT>138.
  Sixteen squares in a block appears on
        <ALT>139.
  Water droplets design appears on
        <ALT>140.
  Stone design appears on
        <ALT>144.
  Tile design, staggered vertically, appears on
        <ALT>148.
  Brick design, staggered horizontally, appears on
        <ALT>158.
  Wood effect designs appear on
        <ALT>150 and
        <ALT>154.

Multiple squares to replace larger areas of black:
 In addition to using several copies of one of the
 above designs to cover several black squares it is
 possible to build up larger designs without
 dividing lines within them by using several
 specially designed patterns that link together. To
 build up a larger design without dividing lines it
 must be remembered that a normal square comes
 complete with the left and lower border lines,
 special squares are available with either or both
 of these lines missing and the pattern extended to
 join smoothly on to the adjacent square. For any
 one design there is then the possibility of four
 different requirements:
   1  Both edges present
   2  Only the left edge present
   3  Only the lower edge present
   4  Neither edge present. 
 These four requirements are available with the two
 diagonal line patterns, the droplets pattern, the
 stone effect pattern and the two wood designs. The
 type 1 requirements for these patterns are on the
 keys listed above, consecutive <ALT> numbers
 providing the other requirements. Thus <ALT>144
 provides the stone design with both edges, <ALT>145
 with only the left edge, <ALT>146 with only the
 lower edge and <ALT>147 provides the stone design
 without any edges. Both the diagonal line patterns
 can be inter-mixed to produce large diagonal
 squares or zigzag lines, the two wood effect
 designs are intended to be mixed to provide a more
 random overall pattern. The tile design, staggered
 vertically, has a built in left edge and no missing
 left edge is required for this design to repeat
 indefinitely, only a missing lower edge is required
 and this is available on <ALT>149. Likewise the
 brick design, staggered horizontally, has a built
 in lower edge and only a missing left edge is
 required, this is provided on <ALT>159. Both the
 nine and sixteen squares in a block designs have
 built in left and lower edges and can be repeated
 indefinitely without the main square borders
 standing out. The remaining designs (acorn,
 concentric circles and squares, Christmas tree and
 holly) will all appear with square borders when
 repeated.

Unusual shaped crosswords:
 With careful thought as to where additional top
 lines (apostrophes) and additional right lines
 (semicolons) are required it is possible to build
 crosswords of any shape with only the addition of a
 completely blank space to the left of any indented
 starting squares and inside any holes. This blank
 space is obtained from the <COMMA> key. To ensure
 the correct position of the grid after a blank
 area; the top lines, the right lines and the blank
 spaces all have the same width as a normal grid
 square.

Heavy lines within a puzzle as dividers instead
of black squares:
 The use of heavy lines to indicate the end of an
 answer is used instead of black squares in many
 puzzles. (This font uses shifted keys for all heavy
 lines). There are four possible requirements with
 only two edges of each square being produced per
 key:
   1   Neither edge needs to be heavy
         in which case the normal
         <SPACE> bar is used.
   2   The left edge needs to be heavy (indicating
         that a horizontal answer ended on the
         previous square) in which case the
         <VERTICAL-BAR> key ( | ) is used.
   3   The lower edge needs to be heavy (indicating
         that a vertical answer ends on this square)
         in which case the
         <UNDERLINE> key ( _ ) is used.
   4   Both edges need to be heavy (both of the
         above apply) in which case the
         <LEFT-ARROW-HEAD> key ( < ) is used.

Heavy borders around a puzzle of any shape:
 The above heavy lines can be used to provide heavy
 left and lower borders, to provide heavy upper and
 right borders three additional keys are provided.
 The horizontal and vertical heavy lines are on the
 shifted normal borders, that is horizontal heavy on
 <QUOTES> ( " ) and vertical heavy on <COLON> ( : )
 keys. In addition with thick lines, any top or
 right corners will appear to have a bit missing,
 this can be filled using the <RIGHT-ARROW-HEAD> key
 ( > ). So that these additional thick lines and
 corner piece can be used throughout a puzzle they
 do not include any spacing. This means not only can
 they be used to thicken up lines on the edge of
 grey squares, they must be used in conjunction with
 white squares (commas) for any top lines or holes
 required.






This has used up all the possible key codes but any
suggestions for improvements or additions could be
considered by using codes <ALT>20x as the first
digit of multi-digit numbers thus releasing the ten
<ALT>16x codes. The <ALT>20x codes at present
position the numbers slightly differently. Any
correspondence should be addressed to the author:
  Anthony Judd,
  Bosdyppa,
  Trungle Vineries,
  Paul,
  Penzance,
  Cornwall,
  TR19 6UG,
  England.
No reply can be guaranteed.


Table of defined Characters 

Keys       Effect
    
<SPACE>    blank square,
               with only left and lower edges.
,          white square,
               no edges, one square spacing.
[          light grey square
               with left and lower edges.
]          mid grey square
               with left and lower edges.
\          dark grey square
               with left and lower edges.
.          black square.

'          horizontal line just above,
               and joining on to, the square below.
;          vertical line just to the right of the
               square before, one square spacing.
|          heavy vertical line, normal horizontal
               line, one square spacing.
_          heavy horizontal line, normal vertical
               line, one square spacing.
<          heavy horizontal and vertical lines,
               one square spacing.
"          heavy horizontal line, no vertical line,
               no spacing.
:          heavy vertical line, no horizontal line,
               no spacing.
>          heavy spot, no lines, as corner filler
               no spacing.
{          concentric squares design
               with left and lower edges.
}          concentric squares, rounded corners,
               with left and lower edges.
~          concentric circles design
               with left and lower edges.
`          acorn design
               with left and lower edges.
a........z A........Z over-typed after the cursor,
               no spacing.
A........Z A........Z with left and lower edges
               added, one square spacing.
1234567890 1234567890 over-typed after the cursor,
               no spacing.
!@#$%^&*() 1234567890 with left and lower edges
               added, one square spacing.
+ - ? / =  + - x  = over-typed after the cursor,
               no spacing.











<ALT> key combinations for patterned effects (hold
down <ALT> key while entering the three-digit number
on the numeric key-pad, release <ALT> key after
third digit). Where a range of four three-digit
numbers is quoted, the first has both left and lower
edges, the second has only a left edge, the third
has only a lower edge and the fourth has no edges.
All designs are one square spacing.

Three      Effect
digits

128        Christmas tree design
               with left and lower edges.
129        holly leaf design
               with left and lower edges.
130-133    diagonal lines
               sloping down to the right.
134-137    diagonal lines
               sloping up to the right.
138        block of nine squares.

139        block of sixteen squares.

140-143    water droplets design.

144-147    stones design.

148        vertical staggered tile design
               with left and lower edges.
149        vertical staggered tile design
               with only left edge.
150-153    wood-grain effect designs,
               all squares different.
154-157    wood-grain effec alternate compatible
               designs, all squares different.
148        horizontal staggered brick design
               with left and lower edges.
159        horizontal staggered brick design
               with only lower edge.


<ALT> key combinations for inserting small numbers
for the answers in the upper left of the squares.
Again hold down the <ALT> key while entering the
three-digit number on the key-pad.

Three      Effect
digits

200-255    The last two digits entered are the
               number that will appear.
               A leading zero in these two digits
               will be discarded.

160-169    The last digit appears in the
               first digit position in the square.
170-179    The last digit appears in the
               second digit position in the square.
180-189    The last digit appears in the
               third digit position in the square.
190-199    The last digit appears in the
               fourth digit position in the square.
