xd is a file format for describing a crossword in text, inspired by the comment text format called markdown. You might have seen markdown in Reddit/Slack/Discord comment boxes or I guess in chats with LLMs.
An xd file is split into sections using ##s. They are used at the start of line and indicate what the next section will be. For example ## Grid means the start of the grid section.
## Grid
AHAB..CUD.SERIF
MADAM.ANY.ABODE
PLANE.DIE.NOTON
( ...etc )The order of sections does not matter, but it is convention to be ordered in: metadata, grid, clues, notes. That's how we'll document it.
Within the grid section, text is treated as a 'look up' table separated by the first colon: on the right we have the name and on the left we have the content.
## Metadata
Title: Alpha-Bits
Author: Drew Hodson
Copyright: © 2021
Description: N/AThis tells the crossword app 4 different types of information about the puzzle. Some crossword apps may support more bits of info and use it for more