15 lines
1.2 KiB
Markdown
15 lines
1.2 KiB
Markdown
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Crossword Generator
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===
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This very simple Python script generates a *clueless* crossword puzzle. It harnesses the capabilities of Python and LaTeX to output the puzzle in a printable PDF.
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Algorithm
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---
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I purposefully designed and implemented this little project without performing research on crossword generation techniques; I wanted to see if I could do it by myself. The very simple algorithm that is implemented here is as follows:
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1. The technique receives a list of words, in a .txt file (I tested using [these](http://www.gwicks.net/dictionaries.htm) lists).
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2. A number (100, by default) of words are chosen randomly from the list that is given, and these are the words that will be used hereafter.
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3. The technique expands the list of words into a list of possibilities, where each possibility encodes a possible starting location for a word, as well as its direction. This essentially constitutes all possible words that can be placed into the grid.
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4. A new word is taken from the list of possibilities and placed on the grid. This makes it so a number of possibilities are now invalid, and these are removed from the list. Steps 3 and 4 are repeated until the grid is as full as we want it to be.
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