Word Grid Solver

Welcome to the Word Grid Solver Application! This tool is designed to assist users in solving grid-based word search puzzles where words are formed by tracing paths through adjacent letters.

Overview

This application provides an interactive way to identify and manage words on a letter grid. Users can input a letter grid, and the solver will find potential words with the aim of covering every tile on the board with a different word. Users can then guide the solver by marking words as included or excluded from the solution, iteratively refining the results until the puzzle is solved.

Getting a Word List (Dictionary File)

Important: This application requires a word list file (a plain text .txt file with one word per line) to function.

Due to copyright and licensing restrictions on many common word lists (like SOWPODS/TWL), a default dictionary file is not included with this application. You will need to provide your own.

Where to find word lists:

• Search for "public domain word lists" or "open source dictionary files".
• Many universities or linguistic resources share word lists for research purposes.
• Look for lists compatible with popular crossword or word game software, ensuring they are plain text and suitable for your use.

Once you have a word list, you can specify its path in the application's settings (⚙️ icon). The application expects a simple text file with one word on each line.

How to Use

1. Board Setup:

   • Manually enter letters into the grid.
   • Alternatively, use the "Populate Test Board" button to load an example board. This feature cycles through previously solved boards, prioritizing the most recent ones.

2. Solving:

   • Click the "Solve" button to initiate the word-finding process.
   • The application will display a list of "Found Words" and draw their paths on the grid.
   • Hovering over a word in the list will highlight its corresponding path on the board.

3. Refining the Solution:

   • The initial list may contain many words. Users must identify which words are part of the specific puzzle's solution.
   • For each word in the "Found Words" list:
     • Click ✔️ to add it to the "Included Words" list.
     • Click ❌ to add it to the "Excluded Words" list (for valid words not part of the current puzzle).
     • Double-clicking a word performs the same action (configurable in Settings).
   • Words can also be manually typed into the "Included" or "Excluded" input fields and added.

4. Iterative Solving:

   • After marking words, click "Solve" again. The solver will use this feedback to generate a new list of potential solution words.
   • Repeat this process of including/excluding words and re-solving until the puzzle is complete!

5. Clearing:

   • The "Clear" button will clear the letter grid and the "Found Words" list.
   • If the board and found words are already clear, a subsequent click will clear the "Included" and "Excluded" word lists.

How It Works

The application employs several techniques to efficiently find solutions:

• Word Search: An initial scan of the board uses a Depth-First Search (DFS) algorithm in conjunction with a Trie data structure (loaded from a dictionary file) to find all possible words on the grid.
• Caching Strategy:
  • Raw Board Scan Cache: The result of the initial DFS (all potential words for a given letter grid) is cached. This avoids re-scanning the board if only include/exclude lists change.
  • Filtered List Cache: A subsequent filtering step that removes any word that would instantly leave the board in an unsolvable state, and is also cached per board configuration.
• Recursive Backtracking Solver: The core solving algorithm uses recursive backtracking. It attempts to place words to cover all cells of the board, prioritizing user-included words. It strategically evaluates candidate words for empty regions, considering letter frequency and word length.
• Memoization: The solver remembers board states (combinations of filled cells and pending known words) that have previously led to a dead-end, preventing redundant computations for similar states.

Settings

The application includes a settings panel (accessible via the ⚙️ icon) where users can customize:

• Word List Path: Specify a custom dictionary file (e.g., .txt format).
• UI Update Interval: Configure the frequency of UI updates during the solving process.
• Double-Click Action: Define whether double-clicking a word in the "Found Words" list adds it to the "Included" or "Excluded" list.
• Application Theme: Choose between Light and Dark themes for the main application window.

The transparency of solution path lines (when not highlighted) can also be adjusted by editing the PathOpacityNormal value (0-255) in the settings.json file located in the application's data folder (%APPDATA%\StrandsSolver\).

Key Features

• Interactive solver for grid-based word puzzles.
• Visual path highlighting on the board.
• "Populate Test Board" feature with recently solved boards prioritized.
• Customizable dictionary file.
• User-configurable settings including themes and UI behavior.
• Efficient solving through caching, Trie data structure, and optimized algorithms.
• User-solved boards are saved to a local demo list (stored in the user's AppData folder, with ROT13 + Base64 obfuscation).

Contributing & Feedback

This project is open source. Contributions, feedback, and bug reports are welcome!

• Code Contributions: Please feel free to fork the repository, make your changes, and submit a pull request.
• Bug Reports & Feature Requests: If you encounter any issues or have ideas for new features, please open an issue. Provide as much detail as possible for bug reports.

Future Enhancements

Potential future improvements include:

• In-app management of the demo boards list.
• Adding a UI control for path opacity in the Settings window.
• Additional options for path visualization. (e.g. direction of words)
• Further performance optimizations for the solving algorithm.

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