Sudoku Solver Manual

125 Pages·2013·1.87 MB·Norwegian

by  Dennis Adler

Sudoku Solver Manual

Version 1.6.9

20 February 2019
Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................ 10
Introduction to Sudoku ............................................................................... 10
Sudoku Puzzles ..................................................................................... 12
Sudoku Solver .......................................................................................... 12
Solving Tutorial ........................................................................................ 13
Solving With Singletons ............................................................................ 13
Patterns - When Singletons Are Not Enough .................................................... 17
Open Patterns .................................................................................... 18
Hidden Patterns .................................................................................. 22
Locked Candidates ................................................................................. 25
BUG+1 ................................................................................................ 28
Fishy Patterns ....................................................................................... 31
X-Wings ............................................................................................ 32
Swordfish ......................................................................................... 36
XY-Wings ............................................................................................. 38
XYZ-Wings ........................................................................................... 40
W-Wings ............................................................................................. 42
Color Chains & Exclusions ......................................................................... 45
Color Chain Exclusions .......................................................................... 50
Color Chain Exclusion Type 1 ................................................................ 50
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Color Chain Exclusion Type 2 ................................................................ 51
Color Chain Exclusion Type 3 ................................................................ 54
Color Chain Exclusion Type 4 ................................................................ 56
Forcing Chains ...................................................................................... 57
Some Internet Sudoku Resources ................................................................ 62
Using Sudoku Solver .................................................................................. 64
Definitions ........................................................................................... 64
Command Line ...................................................................................... 64
Menus and Commands ............................................................................. 66
File Menu ............................................................................................ 66
Open – (shortcut Ctrl-O) ........................................................................ 66
Save As ............................................................................................ 66
Save As with Marks .............................................................................. 67
Print (shortcut key Ctrl-P) ...................................................................... 67
Print Preview ..................................................................................... 67
Page Setup ........................................................................................ 67
Exit (shortcut key Alt-F4) ....................................................................... 67
Game Menu .......................................................................................... 67
Copy (grid + hints) – (shortcut key Ctrl-C) ................................................... 67
Copy Grid – (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-C) ....................................................... 68
Copy Hints – (shortcut key Ctrl-Alt-Shift-C) .................................................. 69
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Paste – (shortcut key Ctrl-V) ................................................................... 69
Paste Template – (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-V) ................................................ 70
Load from Web ................................................................................... 70
Generate Puzzle – (shortcut key Ctrl-E) ...................................................... 72
Advanced Options ............................................................................. 76
Type in Puzzle .................................................................................... 78
Manual Mode ..................................................................................... 79
Clear the Board – (shortcut Ctrl-N) ........................................................... 79
Check for Unique – (shortcut Ctrl-U) .......................................................... 79
Solve ............................................................................................... 79
Calculate Solve Time – (shortcut Ctrl-Shift-Q) .............................................. 80
Options ............................................................................................ 80
Colors ........................................................................................... 80
Color Pattern Colors .......................................................................... 82
Preferences – (shortcut F2) .................................................................. 83
Checkbox items ............................................................................. 83
Other Preference Items ................................................................... 87
Restrict Access – (shortcut F3) .............................................................. 88
Permissions (check to allow) ............................................................. 89
Other Permissions .......................................................................... 90
Hint Order for Clues - (shortcut F4) ........................................................ 91
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Hints Menu .......................................................................................... 93
Click to Reveal ................................................................................... 94
Mark Singletons (shortcut key Ctrl-G) ........................................................ 94
Reveal Marked Singletons (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-G) ...................................... 94
Advanced Techniques ........................................................................... 95
Reveal Singletons (shortcut key Ctrl-A) .................................................... 95
Reveal All Singletons (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-A) ......................................... 95
Reveal Open Singletons (shortcut key Ctrl-B) ............................................. 95
Reveal All Open Singletons (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-B) .................................. 95
List Backdoors ................................................................................. 96
Turn Exclusions Marks/Groups On (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-Z) .......................... 96
Clear Exclusion Marks/Groups (shortcut key Ctrl-Z) ..................................... 96
Patterns (single) (shortcut key Ctrl-Y) ..................................................... 96
Patterns (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-Y) ........................................................ 96
Locked Candidate (single) (shortcut key Ctrl-X).......................................... 97
Locked Candidates (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-X) ............................................ 97
BUG+1 (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-U) .......................................................... 97
Fishy Patterns (single) (shortcut key Ctrl-F) .............................................. 97
Fishy Patterns (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-F) ................................................. 97
XY/Z/W-Wing (single) (shortcut key Ctrl-W) .............................................. 98
XY/Z/W-Wings (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-W) ................................................ 98
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XY-Wing (single) (shortcut key Ctrl+Alt-X) ................................................ 98
XYZ-Wing (single) (shortcut key Ctrl+Alt-Z) ............................................... 98
W-Wing (single) (shortcut key Ctrl+Alt-W) ................................................ 98
Color Chain Exclusion (single) (shortcut key Ctrl-I) ...................................... 99
Color Chain Exclusions (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-I) ........................................ 99
Forcing Chains (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-H) ................................................ 99
Filter Forcing Lines ..........................................................................103
Display Chain in Message Window (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-T) .........................105
Filter Hints.......................................................................................105
All On (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-1) ..........................................................105
All Off (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-0) .........................................................106
1 – 9 (shortcut key Ctrl-1 – Ctrl-9) .........................................................106
Apply Color Patterns .........................................................................106
Highlight Pairs ................................................................................106
Clear Marks ......................................................................................106
All (shortcut key Ctrl-K) .....................................................................106
Highlights .....................................................................................106
X’s ..............................................................................................106
Singletons .....................................................................................107
Link Lines (shortcut key Ctrl-L) ............................................................107
Color Patterns ................................................................................107
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Exclusion Marks/Groups (shortcut key Ctrl-Z) ...........................................107
Forcing Chain Lines (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-H)..........................................107
Temp Marks ...................................................................................107
Manual Marks ....................................................................................107
Clear All .......................................................................................107
Set All ..........................................................................................108
Reset Puzzle (shortcut key Ctrl-R) ...........................................................108
Score Current Grid (shortcut key Ctrl-Shift-E) .............................................108
Reset Alpha to 0 ................................................................................110
Context Menu ......................................................................................110
Row Value to Reveal ...........................................................................110
Column Value to Reveal .......................................................................110
Box Value to Reveal ............................................................................111
Unset (shortcut key Del) .......................................................................111
X-Out .............................................................................................111
Highlight .........................................................................................111
Draw Link Lines .................................................................................111
Forcing Chain ....................................................................................111
Value to Force ..................................................................................111
Ignore FCP Toggle ..............................................................................112
Toolbars ............................................................................................112
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Techniques Toolbar ............................................................................112
Singletons .....................................................................................112
Pattern ........................................................................................113
Locked Candidate ............................................................................113
BUG+1 .........................................................................................113
Fishy Pattern .................................................................................113
XY/Z/W-Wing .................................................................................113
Color Chain Exclusions ......................................................................113
Forcing Chains ................................................................................113
Clear All Marks ...............................................................................114
Show Clues in Status Bar ....................................................................114
Game Timer...................................................................................115
Alpha Slider ...................................................................................115
Filtering Toolbar ................................................................................116
1 to 9 ..........................................................................................116
Highlight Pairs ................................................................................116
Apply Color Patterns .........................................................................116
Clear Color Patterns .........................................................................117
All On ..........................................................................................117
All Off ..........................................................................................117
Manual Solving .....................................................................................117
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Using the Mouse ...................................................................................119
Keyboard Commands ..............................................................................120
Ctrl-Shift Keys ...................................................................................120
Ctrl Keys .........................................................................................121
Normal Keys .....................................................................................121
Entering Values Directly ..........................................................................122
Change Log ............................................................................................123

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Introduction
This is one of many Sudoku programs available online. Some are better, some are worse
though most, if not all, will help you learn how to play. Some will teach you advanced
strategies for solving Sudoku puzzles, as this one will try to do. You can, of course, decide to
use the program to solve your puzzles for you instead of using it as a tool to learn more about
Sudoku. It’s pretty good at that too.
You may download the program from www.dadler.net/sudoku. The setup program on the
webpage will install Sudoku Solver along with the .Net runtime (if needed). Once installed,
Sudoku Solver automatically checks for updates, offering to download and install them for you
when they are available.
Introduction to Sudoku
Sudoku takes many forms; one of the most common is based on a 9 by 9 grid of squares.
Squares are referred to by their row and column number. For instance, the first square in the
puzzle (at the upper left of the grid) is row 1, column 1 (or in shorthand, r1c1). The middle
square in the puzzle is at r5c5. The grid below shows the numbering scheme, with column
numbers running across the top and row numbers running down the left side:
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