Feature request: Solver workflow for .puz files

[wmesard]

Background

Crosshare is the best browser-based solver out there [citation needed]. It provides a better user experience than many standalone crossword solving apps. And yet, when I have a .puz file, I usually use one of those apps, because Crosshare is constructor-centric; there’s no convenient way to use Crosshare as a one-off solver.

Sometimes I’m desperate enough to workaround this by doing the following:

1. From the Constructor Dashboard, click Upload a .puz file.
2. Once the file is uploaded, Edit > This puzzle is private and Publish.
3. Cover the bottom 90% of the screen with my hand, because I don’t want to see the answers.
4. Copy the URL and paste it into another browser, or a tab in incognito mode, so it thinks I’m not me.
5. Once solved, remember to go back and Edit > Delete > Confirm delete, so it doesn’t clutter up my account.

Awkward.

Feature request

It would be great if Crosshare had a “Solve a .puz file” workflow for this use-case.

• The user uploads a .puz file, and is immediately, presented with an empty grid.
• The user cannot Edit the puzzle.
• Comments will be disabled for these puzzles, but the comment panel will contain a Delete button, which will permanently delete the puzzle. No delete confirmation is necessary.
• These puzzles will not appear on the user’s Constructor Dashboard. Instead, they will be on a new Solver Dashboard.

Implementation note: The easiest way to do most of this would probably be to use the existing publish mechanism, with the “private” flag implicitly set. This would mean that the link can still be shared, which will actually be desirable if #551 is implemented.

[mdirolf]

I like this idea!