Crosswords Express is a word puzzle generator producing both printed output and interactive web-based puzzles. It allows to create and solve dozens of word puzzles differing in types, shapes, and topics.

Crossword Express might be of interest for fans doing crosswords every morning, teachers developing word puzzles for educational purposes, or people studying foreign languages to expand vocabulary and practice spelling.

First of all, Crossword Express helps to create an impressive range of word puzzles. We can compose crosswords of different shapes and levels of difficulty, on general knowledge or specific interests, in sizes up to 47*47. A trial version allows to work with puzzles up to 10*10 only.

Along with crosswords which can be turned into different ‘formats': Tangled, Fractured, French, etc, the program generates anagram puzzles, acrostics and word search puzzles.

The program's interface is easy to comprehend and convenient to use. To get an initial idea how to it works, there provided a tutorial illustrating every step of a crossword generating and explaining program's peculiarities.

Good dictionaries in many respects determine the quality of a word puzzle. The Dictionary Maintenance section allows to create, add or edit existing dictionaries. Along with other options, we can process words and clues in Right to Left mode, what is necessary when working with the Arabic or Hebrew languages.

User also have the possibility to import a dictionary in the format of a simple text file, Across Lite puzzle (Crossword Express will turn its content into a new dictionary), or Crossword Compiler List (users of the Crossword Express program can use the lists created with the help of the Crossword Compiler program.)

The Lattice Maintenance section offers to select from and edit previously created lattices, or to create, save and use a new one. Bars, tunnel and traditional block cells, different symmetry codes, and sizes up to 47*47 present an unlimited set of variants. There are several approaches to creating different kinds of word puzzles.

1. Construct Classroom Puzzles. It allows to make up a crossword from as few as 10 words. Users can type the words in one by one, or choose from an existing dictionary.

2. Construct Standard Puzzles. Here we can specify 2 dictionaries for across and down words respectively. The Suggestion option offers a box list containing the words matching the requirements for the puzzle.

3. Construct Special Interest Puzzles. The main idea here is that to create a complete puzzle containing words on a special topic only is not easy. Users specify several basic dictionaries where Crossword Express searches for a suitable word, and a backfill dictionary from where to choose a word in the case of a failure.

4. Manual construction allows to put words into a lattice individually, and to create your own clues.

As I've already mentioned, crosswords can be printed or exported and published online. To do this, users have to convert puzzles into HTML format. Placed on a site, such crosswords can be done online. Smart Print will offer an optimal standard variant of placement on the page; Customer Print allows adjusting layout items, and setting print options. Puzzles can be printed in several interesting variations: Clue In Puzzle, Fill-In, Code Word, Tangled, etc.

The Miscellaneous Functions section includes Edit Puzzles, Rebuilt clues, Lockout words, Export solution and clues as text, Export puzzles and solutions as HTML or XML. The Puzzle Conversion function converts puzzle files in either the Crossword Compiler or the Across Lite formats. These two programs belong to the most popular crossword software and are used by NYTimes.com and Washingtonpost.com. for publishing some of the world's best crosswords.

In order not to come across the same words in every second crossword, Crossword Express provides a function to lock the words all clues of which have been previously used. Though, further it's possible to unlock them and bring them back into use again.

All fonts for solutions, clues, puzzles numbers, title, author, etc. can be set.

While doing a puzzle, users choose a puzzle's "format" (Clue In Puzzle, Fill-In, Code Word, etc.) and determine whether or not to show errors or peek letters.

In general, Crossword Express produces quite a pleasant impression. Naturally enough, to get more interesting puzzles and avoid the situations when generating of a puzzle is not possible, users will have to create various vast dictionaries. Supposing, you are not going to sell crosswords, the price of $35 doesn't seem to be low. But it's much cheaper comparing the Crossword Compiler program. As for the set of option and functions, Crossword Express is worth paying attention.

Crossword Express keywords: crossword, puzzle, sudoku, kakuro, acrostic, cryptic, codeword, wordfind, wordsearch, language, vocabulary, education, entertainment, games, dictionary, maker, compiler, constructor, creator, builder