Reading puzzles from files

The "Read puzzle" option in the File menu can be used to read grids stored in files. The files must be in the format shown below.

Note that you can make sure that the entered puzzle has only one solution by using the Check puzzle option in the File menu.

Format for puzzles

The notation used for puzzle entry may look forbidding but is actually simple and requires the smallest possible number of keystrokes.

Cell types    symbol/example
Solve cell         "*"        i.e. a cell to be solved
Blank cell         "."        i.e. a padding cell
Separator          ","
Sum across         "19"
Sum down           "23"
Sum both    "23/19" or "23\19"

Note that for cells which contain both a sum down and a sum across, the sum down must be written first i.e. in the left to right order as they appear in the grid. For example 23/19 defines a sum down of 23 and sum across of 19. The separator "," need only be used where it is essential to distinguish between the case of adjacent single digit numbers and the case of a double digit number. For example between two, three "2,3" and twenty three "23".

Sample file

...23,14,37,.39,25,7..
..17/18,*,*,*,20,*,*,*,32,.
.10/13,*,*,*,*,13,*,*,*,*,29
32,*,*,*,*,*,17/31,*,*,*,*,*
3,*,*,33,*,*,*,*,*,17,*,*
4,*,*,7,6/19,*,*,*,16,11/16,*,*
16,*,*,*,*,*,34,*,*,*,*,*
.11,34/6,*,*,21,.32/6,*,*,18,10
16,*,*,*,*,*,3/19,*,*,*,*,*
7,*,*,.,28/6,*,*,*,26,7,*,*,
13,*,*,7/18,*,*,*,*,*,7/3,*,*
17,*,*,*,*,*,16,*,*,*,*,*
.20,*,*,*,*,26,*,*,*,*,
..,18,*,*,*,20,*,*,*

Commas are only obligatory where needed, trailing dots are
not obligatory,  / and \ are equivalent and the program
is fairly tolerant of mistakes:

Sample file

...23,14,37.39,25,7
..17\18***20***32
.10/13****13****29
32*****17\31*****
3**33**bum***1bum7**
4**7,6\19***16,11\16**
16*****34*****
.11,34\6**21.32\6**18,10
16*****3\19*****
7**.28\6***26,7**
13**7\18*****7\3**
17*****16*****
.20****26****
..18***20***

In keeping with our current selfish society the bums would be ignored to leave the correct text of "*****" and "17". Although SourGumdropK is a free computer program, it is not a charitable institution.