SadMan Software: Sudoku

Simes · Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 5:33 pm Post subject: SadMan Software: Sudoku

For all flavours of 32-bit Windows.

* Can solve puzzles completely automatically if you wish, and copy the result to the clipboard ready for pasting into those competition entry emails.
* It solves using exactly the same techniques that a human would. Only if this doesn't result in a solution does it resort to brute-force trial-and-error, and you can selectively disable this, or any other, solving technique.
* When solving automatically, it can create a log that shows the reason for entering each number in each cell, and the logic that allows for elimination of cell candidates.
* If a puzzle has multiple solutions, it can determine how many there are, and then show them to you.
* Can show the allowed entry "pencil-marks" for each cell.
* It can automatically update the pencil-marks as you enter numbers. This removes the tedium, but leaves the fun!
* Can prevent and/or highlight invalid entries.
* Can show the limitations imposed by the numbers already entered.
* When pasting from the clipboard, it will accept a wide variety of styles. This is extremely useful if you want to copy from discussion forums, websites etc.
* It can print the puzzle, optionally including pencil-marks, enabling you to solve away from your computer if you prefer.
* You can associate sudoku puzzle files, so that double-clicking one will automatically open it in Sudoku
* You can drag Sudoku puzzle files from Windows Explorer and drop them onto Sudoku.
* Small and extremely simple to use.

And, dare I say it, as used by Pappocom when he needs to determine the number of solutions for a puzzle.

Available for download from SadMan Software
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Simes
www.sadmansoftware.com/sudoku

barleyfarmer · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 1:05 am Post subject: Hat's off to you

A good all-round app, does all the things I want. I wish I had more time to carry on developing my own. But it's Summer and I want out of the office/house!

Steve Wink

Simes

As of version 2.0, released today:
* Added the ability to create new puzzles based on the required solving techniques or degree of difficulty.
* Added the ability to rate a puzzle.
* Added the ability to rotate or reflect the entire puzzle, or substitute numbers.

Feedback welcome.
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Simes
www.sadmansoftware.com/sudoku

rfb · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2005 8:43 pm Post subject: What is a 'hard' puzzle

I dowloaded the new version today and it looks good.
May I suggest you post the current version on the download page so that it is easy to tell when a newer version is available.

How does the puzzle grading work?
I tried generating a hard puzzle which took a long time (the counter went past 80) before it produced a puzzle.
When I tried to solve it I got stuck so I tried the solver and it required the 'Forcing Chains' technique to solve.
I was surprised to find such an advanced technique required - what on earth do you put in Fiendish and Diabolicals!
Is there an explanation of what the grades mean

Simes · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:07 pm Post subject:

rfb · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:30 pm Post subject:

I suppose I expected 'Forcing chains' to be considered a Fiendish level technique. I will try generating by Solving Technique until I ready to face 'Forcing chains'. At times I can't spot a simple pair staring me in the face Sad

On the subject of Forcing chains I know you consider both values of a cell where there are two candidates but do you consider cases where a candidate number occurs twice in a row/column/box?
_________________
Bob

Simes · Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 6:10 am Post subject:

chuckfresno · Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 12:03 am Post subject:

It can take a long time to generate a puzzle, even easyier ones. Until and unless the generation routine can be accelerated, maybe one could select a range of levels at once. Or generate puzzles directly to disk files, automatically naming them according to level and/or tactics required. Let it run for a few hours, you've got all you need. I think I just solved a diabolical faster than it generated one! By comparision, "unreasonables" are created in a fraction of a second by the open source SOLO (http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/). I just put two of those into your program -- it rated one as "fiendish" and the other "diabolical"; the first requireing forcing chains, the second T&E to solve. So they *can* be generated much, much faster.

nj3h · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 2:05 am Post subject:

Greetings,
Can the program key be entered without having to be on-line? I have a laptop that I like to put my games on that I never hook up to the internet. Of course, I have no problem getting an email on my desktop computer and transferring the key over to the laptop. Some programs require the user to be on the internet when activating with the purchased key. I was just wondering if this was one such program.

Thanks,
nj3h

Simes · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 6:33 am Post subject:

No problem. The registration key is delivered via email, and there are no on-line checks.
_________________
Simes
www.sadmansoftware.com/sudoku

Simes · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:21 pm Post subject: V2.1 is a bit faster

People - thanks for the feedback.

I've just released V2.1 - this has some speed improvement when generating puzzles, but still needs to be a lot faster.

chuckfresno - I looked at the open source generator you mentioned, and we're both generating using very similar techniques (so why is mine so much slower then? Embarassed

). Simon Tatham makes a very good point though - the more levels you have, the harder it is to find a puzzle that fits into one of them. So that's an argument for having fewer, broader difficulty categories. Listing the forcing chains is on the to-do list btw.
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Simes
www.sadmansoftware.com/sudoku

MickJ27 · Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2005 4:19 pm Post subject: Sadman Sudoku v2.2

Just downloaded and registered. Excellent program Simes, thanks.

I almost posted a message sayign that I'd found a fault with a forcing chain. Actually I was wrong (of course Razz

) but it made me realise that sometimes following the chains actually leads you to one of the candidates being impossible. Does the program use this as a solving technique ?

Simes · Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2005 6:35 pm Post subject:

Hi Mick,

rfb · Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 10:58 pm Post subject:

Life has been quiet in this thread recently.

I was pleased to see you had released Version 2.2 and that it supported colouring. Unfortunately though this is only as a computer solving technique - not as a technique that a user can employ.

Having used it in Angus J's program it is a very useful technique and I wouldn't want to attempt to manually solve a puzzle requiring colouring or forcing chains without it.

While I still prefer the interface of your program Angus has improved his program so much over the past few weeks that there isn't much to choose between them.

Although you are improving generation times Angus seems to generate new puzzles almost instaneously.

Another useful feature of his program is the ability to select multiple cells by holding ctrl whilst clicking on cells - this is useful when removing candidates from multiple cells after identifying pairs etc.

A very minor improvement would be to have the Puzzle generation, solving techniques and print options menus as additional tabs in the main options menu rather than as separate menus (though you could retain the direct links in the pulldown menus)

Another minor change would be to assume that pasted numbers are clues rather than having to use 'Change all numbers to clues'

Bob
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Bob

Simes · Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 7:12 pm Post subject:

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the feedback.