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LA Times (and lots of other) dead links

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BJMcBean:
I've tried copying into a text format and then opening the saved text with AcrossLite, but it doesn't seem to work on my Mac. Suggestions?

Glenn9999:

--- Quote from: Greg01748 on January 27, 2019, 04:06:18 PM ---If you haven't noticed it, see the PUZ thread started by Glenn9999. Today at least, it's the very next thread in the forum list. It's a workaround but much appreciated.

--- End quote ---

Actually it's Across Lite TEXT which is a script language more for constructors to get their creations into PUZ easily.  Not really a work-around per-se.  We talked about posting PUZ a few months ago, but the problem there is dealing with binary files on a forum that doesn't support attachment.  There's the possibility of offering links to PUZ from cloud storage.  Like you pointed out, it'd just be saving to PUZ out of Across Lite and uploading the file as opposed to posting the text file here.  But the problem (posting them to forum is kinda sorta sketchy) is the LA Times seeing whoever as an "unauthorized distributor" or something like that.  I don't know the conditions that they get to be distributed here, but I have to think there's some kind of permission involved and maybe even some money changing hands in some way.  I don't really know for sure how that works.  Anyhow, what's going on isn't quite ideal, but it's an option.

The very periodic "outages" makes me wonder how the process here works behind getting them.  (I'm thinking a "switch" has to be thrown on Sundays for it to keep working, along with some rigging at the end of the month.)  I've copied puzzle text enough here that I'd like to figure out how to automate it, but don't quite know everything I need to know to find the data URL to download that drives the online solvers.

trauer1282:
Copying and pasting of the text Glen9999 posts is actually a full work-around in the sense that it provides the same end result as downloading the binary .puz format. After the text is cut/pasted into a .txt file and that file is opened, AcrossLite can then print the puzzle and save it in the binary format.

I've posted a few of the text files and can attest to the labor of love that Glen9999 performs in making the input ready for text. I try to backfill for him occasionally when the LAT feed is down and he's out too.

BJMcBean, give this process another try as it does indeed work on a Mac. Make sure to copy all the text (and nothing else, including blank lines) and paste it into a .txt (not .puz) file. Right/Context click on the file and select "open with", and then select "Across Lite" as the program. The puzzle should open just fine, at which point you'll be able to print it and/or save it as a binary .puz format in the event you want to save it for later on your Mac or open it with one of the mobile versions of AcrossLite.

marylamb:
And I, for one, truly appreciate having the LAT puzzle. Thank you!

steve413:
@BJMcBean the text version works fine on a Mac

Copy from Glenn9999's post just the text, no extra lines at beginning or end
Open TextEdit on your Mac
Paste text
Convert to Plain Text
Save as text file .txt
In Across Lite, Open and then navigate to the previously saved .txt file.

As far as the LA Times crossword database is concerned I don't think there is any staff member dutifully transcribing the crossword into .PUZ format (but thanks @Glen9999 for taking on the mantle!).  It's probably voluntary.  Your threats to cancel your subscription to a free site make you seem rather entitled.

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