Anagram solver application
(Windows version).

The description of the installation and execution of the application to find possible to anagrams, given a set of test letter and sizes for the words to be found.

Prerequisites

Ensure that you have already:

  1. Set up an environment variable CRAGCROSS_DIR: see see here for instructions..

  2. Installed the original dictionary lists: see here for instructions..

Why might you need this application?

Several crosswords allow the frustrated solver to see one or more unsolved clues on the same day that the crossword is made available online.
However, some, especially those offering prizes, delay the viewing of solutions until the following week.
Personally, I have been frustrated, when having finished 90% of a crossword, I have had to wait for a week to find appropriate words in an anagram needed to finish it off.
By supplying a list of letters, presumed to be in the anagram, along with a list of integers that define the lengths of the words in the anagram, the app can produce a list of solutions that comply.

N.B.: The number of solutions in three-word and four-word anagrams can exceed one billion.
It is more advisable to try the Reduced dictionary list first.
In some cases, the app can run for hours before finding all of the possible soultions, in which case it should be shut down.

Installation

Execute the following steps:

  1. Create a target folder, AS, on your Windows Cragcross base directory; e.g., C:\Cragcross\AS (used below).
  2. Using the following link, save the attached anagram_solver.7z to C:\Cragcross\AS:     Download anagram_solver.7z.
  3. Double-click on anagram_solver.7zanagram_solver.7z to expand. (If not the default action, right-click and select extract.)

Usage test

When anagram_solver.exe has been installed, execute the following steps:

  1. Double-click on C:\Cragcross\AS\anagram_solver.exe
  2. In the Letters: text box, type ORCHEST RA
    (Spaces are permissable.)
  3. In the Word sizes: text box, type 4, 5
    (Spaces and commas may be used as separators.)
  4. Do not press the Add known letters button.
  5. Ensure that in the Dictionary radio buttons Reduced is checked.
  6. Press Find anagrams
  7. You should see the following:
    using Reduced
  8. Next, ensure that in the Dictionary radio buttons Master is checked.
  9. Do not press the Add known letters button.
  10. Press Find words
  11. After some time, during which the Find words button remains highlighted, you should see the following:
    using Master

As you may have anticipated, when the larger word list, Master, is used, more solutions are found, but it takes much longer.

When known letters are added, the displayed solution will be significantly reduced.
  1. Double-click on C:\Cragcross\AS\anagram_solver.exe
  2. In the Letters: text box, type ORCHEST RA
    (Spaces are permissable.)
  3. In the Word sizes: text box, type 4, 5
    (Spaces and commas may be used as separators.)
  4. Press the Add known letters button.
  5. You should change the deafults to the following:
    using Reduced with masks
  6. Ensure that in the Dictionary radio buttons Reduced is checked.
  7. Press Find anagrams
  8. You should see the following:
    using Reduced with masks

As you may have anticipated, when the known letters are used to filter all possible solutions, fewer solutions are presented.

It is anticipated that the word lists supplied may need to be updated, both for new terms that are coined, as well as to address words that were overlooked in the original lists. To so do, see instructions on how to update the dictionary lists.

Let me know of any problems you may encounter...