external: Crosshare* | Cruciverbalizer | (Drupal: crosswordplayground.com) |
DSlager | PuzzleMe* (AmuseLabs) | RSchroll | Spoonbill (APH) | Squares | XWordInfo
internal: Crossword Compiler* | Crossword Nexus* | Drupal* | Exolve* | Xroz*
- external: applet code hosted on own web site or puzzle opened on outside web site
- internal: applet code and puzzle hosted on own web site
- *: applet can be embedded (via IFRAME) inside web page
- Crossword Embedding Options
AmuseLabs(PuzzleMe), Crosshare, Squares.io, Crossword Nexus, Exolve, Crossword Compiler; CN; 3/15/2022 - Note: the .pdf version of this section will have some strange page breaks (difficult to fix)
- I have mostly transitioned from Crossword Compiler (internal)
to PuzzleMe (external*) for my own interactive puzzles (free for personal use);
a close runner-up would be Crossword Nexus (HTML5 Crossword Solver; internal*) (free) - Crossword Scraper browser extension (Firefox, Chrome) can extract .puz, .jpz, .pdf from some sites.
"CS" marks "Crossword Scraper" compatible applets:
Crosshare, Crossword Compiler, Crossword Nexus, PuzzleMe, XWordInfo; others?
Sources: Web Sites includes CS compatible puzzles - Some other custom/internal applets observed in the wild:
Arkadium/King, Chicago Tribune (LAT), Seattle Times (NYT), USA Today
Crosshare: .puz; CS
- schoOLLIfe direct link; [image on right];
[embedded below -- click Begin Puzzle button]
Crossword Compiler (CC): .js; CS
- [embedded below]; discussion: .js format, .jpz conversion
- WordPress plugin that contains CC applet; source
Crossword Nexus: .puz, .jpz, .xml, .cfp; CS
- Open .jpz Puzzle, e.g., .puz -- or embedded example below; Jonesin' samples;
create IFRAME w/ your puzzle stored on crosswordnexus.com
-- or install source code on a site (used by example below)
Cruciverbalizer: .puz
- upload .puz; similar to DownForAcross.com?
- no circle support; special chars?
Drupal: Crossword: .puz, .txt
- Module for web sites using Drupal (Content Management System) -- used by my site [embedded example below];
scroll up for title, author, clue controls; scroll down for help: Keyboard Control and Entering Text; possible to omit page header/footer? - crosswordplayground.com uses Drupal Crossword module but can't be embedded in IFRAME
DSlager: .puz
- [drag&drop local .puz], e.g., .puz; [image on right];
no URL parameter? no IFRAME? source code; 2011
Exolve: .puz, .ipuz
- Open .puz -- or embedded example below;
docs, source code; exolve.org - Embed Exolve in a widget
PuzzleMe: .puz, .jpz, .xml, .xw (AmuseLabs); CS
- free for non-commercial use
- after creating or importing puzzle, copy Embed code
- schoOLLIfe example -- or embedded below
- Crossword Scraper (Firefox, Chrome browser extension)
can extract .puz, .jpz, .pdf on PuzzleMe (and some other) sites.
RSchroll: .puz
- Import File: local .puz; [image on right];
circle support? no URL parameter?
no embed via IFRAME?
source code; ~2015
(Spoonbill) American Printing House: .puz, .xwc
- schoOLLIfe example
- cmd-ctrl-O to open local .puz
- no circle support; no embed via IFRAME?
- A Review of the Crossword Web-based Game from APH 5/2020
Squares: .puz, .jpz, .ipuz
- upload file to server; e.g., schoOLLIfe example:
[click to open in new tab]; [image on right];
expiration? no embed via IFRAME?
Xroz: .puz
- embedded example below;
limited interface; source code: ~2011; demo
XWordInfo: Analyze: .puz; CS
- upload .puz file to server; analyze.pdf;
no embed via IFRAME? [image on right];
note same applet used elsewhere on xwordinfo.com: NYT Variety & Pre-Shortzian puzzles;
schoOLLIfe example (unless expired)