CROSSWORDS // PUZZLES

Cryptic Crossword Markdown Format (CCMD)

Or… A better way to present cryptic crossword clues that are easy to create, edit, and can be utilised to provide hints to crossword solvers.

Photo by Alexandra Lowenthal on Unsplash

I love cryptic crosswords, the wordplay, the problem-solving skills required, and the challenge in getting them out (one of my favourite sites is The Evening Standard) as I find the balance between challenge and fun just right.

As part of my interest in cryptic crosswords, my interest has gone from not only solving, but also creating crosswords and helping others.

Consequently, I was looking for a cryptic crossword format that would enable this—wandering around the internet I came across a ‘proposed standard for marking up the clues of cryptic crosswords in XML’ — cc-ml.org (CCML).

The site says:

“CCML allows for crosswords to be displayed in digital contexts with additional layers of data, adding hints and further expository detail to enable beginners and experienced solvers who are stuck to access an intermediary stage between…