FILLIN APPLET - USER INSTRUCTIONS

Exporting a puzzle.
The Export menu of the Crossword puzzle construction screen has an Export as Fillin Applet option which results in the following three files being copied into the java sub-folder of your main Magnum Opus folder:-
  • A single .crossword file. This is the file which contains the actual puzzle which you have selected for interactive publication.

  • The file fillin.jar This is the Java program file which creates the interactive environment in which the puzzle will operate.

  • The file puzzle.html This is the file which starts the interactive process. Double clicking on the icon of this file will start your web browser with your puzzle displayed and ready for interactive operation in a test environment.
Publishing the puzzle.
All that is now required to publish the puzzle on the Internet is to upload the three files onto your web server, and to provide a link from one of your existsing web pages to the puzzle.html file.

If the exported puzzle performs correctly when operated locally on your hard drive, but fails to do so after loading onto your web server, it will probably be caused by one of the following factors:-
  • Some web servers are case sensitive, so that a file called Puzzle.cwe is NOT the same as a file called puzzle.cwe It is a very good idea to use ONLY lower case letters when naming files, and needless to say, you should also use lower case letters when you refer to those files in the applet parameters.

  • All puzzle files (.crossword, .acrostic, .sudoku, etc) are binary files, not text files, and transfer of these files to the server MUST be done in the binary mode. Failure to do so will lead to unpredictable results.

  • Some web servers place restrictions on the type of file which they will allow to be downloaded. Naturally, all servers will download .html, .gif, .jpg, .zip, .class, .exe, etc files, but occasionaly a server will be encountered which will not permit .crossword, .acrostic, .sudoku, etc files to be downloaded. This is usually a configuration option which can be changed by the server administrator, so if you run into this problem, your first action should be to discuss the matter with your Internet Service Provider. If they are unwilling to make the necessary change, then you can change the name of the puzzle file (for example from puzzle.sudoku to puzzle.gif), and also change its name where it is referred to in the applet parameters.
Changing the appearance of the puzzle.
You should find the puzzle perfectly acceptable exactly as it is exported by Magnum Opus. You can however make changes to the appearance and behaviour of the applet using a system of param statements located within the puzzle.html file. There is a very comprehensive selection of params the use of which is explained in the following. Simply click on any topic in the following index for a complete description of the params involved with that topic.
INDEX OF FILLIN APPLET PARAMETERS.
 <applet> Tag 
 Background color 
 Border 
 Button color 
 Choice Box 
 Congratulations 
 Control Tips 
 Daily Puzzles 
 Errors 
 Help button 
 No Reveal message 
 Puzzle colors 
 Puzzle location 
 Reveal one letter 
 Reveal Solution 
 Start Again 
 Title 
 Warning 
 Word List 


<applet> Tag
<applet code="fillin.class" archive="fillin.jar" width=640 height=450>
</applet>

These lines begin and end the applet HTML tag which is responsible for loading and running the applet.
The width and height values may be changed if you want a bigger or smaller puzzle in your web page. Depending on the values you select, you may need to rearrange the locations of the components of the Applet, using the various  loc parameters. 
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Warning
<hr color="teal"/><font color="red"><h1>WARNING!</h1></font>
<font size="5" color="red">You must use a Java enabled browser to solve this puzzle.</font><p/>
<div align="left"><font face="arial">Enabling your browser is quite a simple matter,
requiring only a few minutes to complete the following steps:-
<ul>
<li/>Begin by downloading and installing the <b>Java Runtime Environment</b>. This is a small program which is available free from the <font color="red">ORACLE</font> web-site at<br/>
<a href="http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp">http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp</a><p/>

<li/>In most cases you will probably also need to change your browser <b>Preferences</b> to actually enable Java processing. The steps involved here will depend on the browser you are using. Details of the actual steps for most popular browsers are provide by the <font color="red">ORACLE</font> web-site at<br/>
<a href="http://www.java.com/en/download/help/enable_browser.xml"> http://www.java.com/en/download/help/enable_browser.xml</a>

</ul><br/><hr color="teal"/></font></div>

These are the instructions which will be displayed instead of the Applet by a browser in which Java has been disabled.
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Background Color
<param name="bgcolor"  value="FFFFFF">

The bgcolor parameter may be set to any color which contrasts nicely with the background color of your web page. You can even use the same color as your web page if you like, in which case the elements of the puzzle display will appear to be floating in your web page content.
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Border
<param name="bordercolor"  value="000000">
<param name="borderwidth"  value="1">

A border can be placed around the entire applet. These two parameters set the color and width of the border. If you don't want a border, simply set the value of borderwidth to 0.
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Title
<param name="titleloc"  value="000 000 000 000">
<param name="titlecolor"  value="005555">
<param name="titlesize"  value="6">

The applet can display a title for the puzzle. The words of this title will be the Puzzle Name which you entered into the Puzzle Description dialog of Magnum Opus before you built the puzzle. Use these parameters to control the color and size of the text used to display the puzzle name. If the puzzle title will not fit into the space you have allowed for it, a smaller font will be substituted.
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Button Color
<param name="buttoncolor"  value="FFFFFF">

You are able to control the color of the buttons by setting the value of the buttoncolor parameter. Any color can be chosen, but if you use FFFFFF (pure white) the applet will use the standard Java style button. If you want a white button, use FFFFFE which will be indistinguishable from white.
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Puzzle Colors
<param name="cellcolor"  value="FFFFDD">
<param name="gridcolor"  value="003333">
<param name="patterncolor"  value="003333">
<param name="lettercolor"  value="006666">
<param name="idcolor"  value="880000">
<param name="focuscolor"  value="FFFFCC">
<param name="cursorcolor"  value="FF0000">
<param name="errorcolor"  value="FF0000">

Using these parameters you can control the colors of the following components of a puzzle as it is being solved:-

cellcolor :  The background color of an individual cell
gridcolor :  The color of the puzzle grid lines
patterncolor :  The color of the pattern cells
lettercolor :  The color of the solution letters
idcolor :  The color of the cell ID numbers
focuscolor :  The background color of the cells of the current focus word
cursorcolor :  The outline color of the cursor cell
errorcolor :  The background color of the cells which are in error
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Reveal One Letter
<param name="revealone"  value="Reveal One Letter">
<param name="revealoneloc"  value="012 230 237 290">

The applet will reveal one letter at a time by clicking the Reveal One Letter button. The revealone parameter sets the text attached to the Reveal One Letter button, and the location of this button is set by the revealoneloc parameter.
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Errors
<param name="errors"  value="Reveal Errors">
<param name="errorsloc"  value="012 310 237 370">

When the Reveal Errors button is clicked all cells in the puzzle which have the incorrect character inserted will be highlighted. The errors parameter sets the text which will appear in this button, the errorsloc parameter specifies the  location  of the button and the errcell parameter sets the background color of the cells which are in error.
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Start Again
<param name="restart"  value="Start Again">
<param name="restartloc"  value="012 390 237 450">

A solver who makes a complete mess of the puzzle can start again by clicking the Start Again button. The restart parameter sets the text attached to the Start Again button, and the location of this button is set by the  restartloc  parameter.
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Reveal Solution
<param name="revealsol"  value="Reveal Solution">
<param name="revealsolloc"  value="012 470 237 530">

The applet will reveal the complete solution if the Reveal Solution button is clicked. The revealsol parameter sets the text attached to the Reveal Solution button, and the location of this button is set by the  revealsolloc  parameter.
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No Reveal Message
<param name="noreveal"  value="The Reveal function has been disabled on this puzzle">

Magnum Opus can create puzzles in which the Reveal function is disabled. This parameter sets the text that will be displayed if the solver tries to use one of the Reveal functions on such a puzzle.
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Choice Box
<param name="choiceloc"  value="000 000 000 000">
<param name="title1"  value="An easy FILLIN puzzle.">
<param name="puzzle1"  value="easy.crossword">

If you want the applet to handle more that one puzzle, you should enter a value for the  choiceloc  parameter. This will create a choice box in the location you specify. For each puzzle which you want the applet to handle, you should include two param statements. The numeral added to title and puzzle must start at one and increase by one (no gaps please) for each new puzzle. You can include as few as one puzzle, or as many as you like. The values associated with the title params are used to identify the puzzles in the choice box, while the values associated with the puzzle params are the actual names of the puzzle files. If you are publishing a single puzzle, then you will need only the puzzle1 parameter.
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Daily Puzzles
<param name="startdate"  value="10 03 22">
<param name="period"  value="1">

Many Magnum Opus users will want to arrange for a new puzzle to be published each day. This can be done very easily, without the need for complex script files or any daily manual editing. Simply name your puzzles at the time of creation with a number - (for example 123.crossword). The puzzle build function includes an option which allows you to build many puzzles in a single operation, and to automatically name them with an increasing numerical value.

Provided you don't include the title or puzzle parameters mentioned in the previous item, the applet will look for a puzzle file which has a number as its name. It calculates the value of that number by reference to the startdate and period parameters. Puzzle number 1 will be selected on the day whose date is given by the startdate parameter (format is yy mm dd). The puzzle number will increase by 1 with each period of time equal to the number of days specified by the period parameter.

If you also include a  choiceloc  parameter, then the choice box will provide access to the previous seven puzzles.
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Word List
<param name="wordsloc"  value="012 315 237 980">
<param name="wordlabelloc"  value="012 275 237 305">
<param name="wordlabel"  value="The Words">
<param name="wordlabelcolor"  value="006666">
<param name="wordlabelsize"  value="15">

The words which are to be inserted into the Fillin puzzle are presented in a scrollable list. The location of this list is defined by means of the wordsloc parameter. The location of a label associated with this list is similarly defined by means of the wordlabelloc parameter, the text for this label is specified by the wordlabel parameter, and the text color and size is specified by wordlabelcolor and wordlabelsize.
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Puzzle Location
<param name="puzzleloc"  value="250 020 980 980">

This parameter sets the size and location of the actual puzzle within the applet. Read the section dealing with  choiceloc  for a discussion on how this is done.
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Congratulations
<param name="congrats"  value="<html>CONGRATULATIONS!<br>Your solution is correct.">

This is where you can control the text which is presented to a successful solver of a puzzle.
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Help
<param name="help"  value="Help">
<param name="helploc"  value="012 550 137 610">
<param name="helpheader"  value="FILLIN Help">
<param name="help1"  value="Here you can insert">
<param name="help2"  value="whatever information">
<param name="help3"  value="you think your solvers">
<param name="help4"  value="should know about.">

The applet provides a set of Help instructions which are accessed by clicking the Help button. The help parameter sets the text in the help button, and the location of the button is set by the  choiceloc  parameter.

The remaining parameters allow the Help information to be translated into any language you wish. Please observe the following rules when making changes here:

  • You can use as many lines of Help as you wish. Numbering MUST start from 1 and continue upward without any omissions.
  • Bear in mind that the length of the longest line will determine the width of the box in which the Help is displayed.
  • Any line which contains only a single space character will print as a blank line. Use this fact to break your Help text into paragraphs.
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Control Tips
<param name="selecttip"  value="Select a different puzzle to solve">
<param name="errorstip"  value="Indicate those portions of the solution which are in error.">
<param name="restarttip"  value="Abandon the current partial solution, and start again.">
<param name="revealonetip"  value="Reveal the correct digit for the cell indicated by the cursor.">
<param name="revealsoltip"  value="Reveal the complete solution for this puzzle.">
<param name="helptip"  value="Display the Help information for this puzzle.">

Using these parameters, you can include some explanatory text which is displayed by the applet when the mouse cursor is pointed at any of the buttons or other controls within the applet.
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A note on setting Applet component locations.
The size and location of all of the major components of the Applet may be controlled using the various loc parameters referred to above. The value which sets the size and location of a given component consists of a string of four three digit numbers separated by one or more spaces. These four numbers represent the "top", "left", "bottom" and "right" coordinates of the component. To derive the values of these numbers, imagine the area of the Applet being divided into 1,000 vertical columns (numbered 000 to 999) and 1,000 horizontal rows (also numbered 000 to 999). The components of the Applet are superimposed on this coordinate system to yield the "top", "left", "bottom" and "right" values mentioned above.

You may wish to omit some of these components. This can be achieved by setting the value to "000 000 000 000".
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