If I was a racing car driver, I'd want to drive a Ferrari. Needless to say, I'm not a Grand Prix racer and the only Ferrari I've ever owned came out of a matchbox. But I do make crosswords and I want Crossword Compiler. Antony Lewis has taken this popular construction program and, thanks to a lot of work on his part (and input from puzzle creators and solvers), has managed to improve what was already the premier software of its kind.

There's so much to like about this product that it's hard to know where to begin. So let me start with one word: "Wow!"

For example, look at this puzzle that I made. Actually, I can't take much credit because the program did all the work. I merely fired up the computer, opened Crossword Compiler, chose the grid dimensions, chose a grid pattern (from an extensive built-in library), chose two 15-letter entries with 'Auto-Find', clicked the 'Auto-Fill' button and 'Voila!' I had a fairly decent fill. Elapsed time? About three minutes. By the way, I could've also chosen a theme from those supplied that cover many topics from anatomy to zoology.

"So what?", you might ask. Crossword Compiler had 'Auto-Fill' in previous versions. True, but the fill has never been so good. A common complaint with the former program was the amount of obscure entries or 'crosswordese' that would result (making clue writers pull their hair and/or chew the ends off pencils).

Now you have your puzzle made, the clues written, and you're ready to post on the Web. Once again, Crossword Compiler delivers the goods. As in previous versions, it's not only possible to export as a text file (.txt or .rtf), AcrossLite format (.puz), Crossword Maestro (.cmo), and Crossdown (.xwd), with the latest version, you can export puzzles in formats compatible with most DTP (Desk Top Publishing) programs.

Additionally, Crossword Compiler comes bundled with Antony Lewis' Java applet (former versions used Andrei Grigoriev's applet) and so it's a snap to have an interactive puzzle up and running on your site. But don't stop there. The new Crossword Compiler will generate a snippet of HTML for inclusion in your page or generate an entire Web page with the puzzle nicely formatted for printing! Who could ask for anything more?

Well, I could... and I am. I want customisable Web page templates that will display exactly to my liking depending on the size and type of puzzle I'm presenting. No problem. This version allows you to create your own templates so you determine fonts, colors and alignments. Still not satisfied? Here's the clincher: It only costs $45 US.

Crossword Compiler still does wild-card searches for words matching a pattern, finds anagrams, manages clues, prints and publishes to the Web. And you can order the optional bundled versions which come with WordWebPro, additional word lists and the professional grid filler.

All in all, the best has gotten better. A lot of puzzle creators must be saying a little prayer of thanks to Antony Lewis...