HTML to CM application

This application attempts to convert web pages containing British-style cryptic (or non-cryptic) crosswords into Crossword Maestro format. Many newspapers publish their daily crossword on their website and using this application can save the time and effort involved in re-entering them into the software.

Although this may sound like a simple task, it isn't! The software needs to parse the HTML to locate the crossword clues regardless of the format of the page. It then needs to work out what the crossword grid looks like from the fingerprint given by the collective numbering of the clues and the length of the answers! (The grid itself is usually an image and so isn't visible to any software looking at the HTML.) There are trillions of possible grids so some extremely sophisticated methods are needed to do this calculation. Remarkably it works fairly reliably with a wide variety of web pages and a range of possible grid sizes!

We are currently offering this product FREE to people who have purchased Crossword Maestro and temporarily to people who are evaluating the software (for the duration of their trial only).

(If you are not a Crossword Maestro owner and are interested in licensing this software for other purposes, please contact us.)

Although we are currently offering this software for free, we do ask for some brief details including your email address to be given before you download. The reasons for this are twofold. First, we want to know who has downloaded the software so we can send information about updates. Secondly, the page will also check that you are entitled to download it. i.e. That you are listed as licensed for Crossword Maestro or have recently downloaded a trial. Under no circumstances will your details be sold or passed on to any third party nor will you receive any email unrelated to the application.

The current version of this product is 1.6 (Released September 2005). Users of earlier versions can upgrade simply by downloading and installing again.

Version 1.6 fixes a problem that started appearing with online Telegraph crosswords in September 2005.