VG Sudoku is a Java Sudoku helper with a nice interface and some pretty good features.

You can use VG Sudoku to solve a puzzle in your newspaper in a cooler way than pen and paper! Just check the Set givens option, enter the given numbers from the newspaper and uncheck the Set givens option. That's it! You're ready to fight with your Sudoku!

If at any time you want to start over, just select Restart in the File menu.

VG Sudoku can import Sudoku puzzles by reading puzzle descriptor files, such as Gordon Royle's excellent collection of "Minimum" Sudoku puzzles (The University of Western Australia).

Download the collection, save as a text file, import from within VG Sudoku (Load descriptor file... in the File menu) and select a Random puzzle (File menu) to enjoy solving!

Liked one of the puzzles in the collection and want to share with a friend? Just tell them the puzzle number and they can enjoy solving it too by using the Go to puzzle... function in the File menu! Of course, they will need to have VG Sudoku and the puzzle collection to access and solve the puzzle!

VG Sudoku also allows you to change its colors, should you not like the defaults! Just select Choose colors... in the View menu and use the color chooser to set the colors you want.

Once you have selected your favourite colors, VG Sudoku will remember the selection by saving a small configuration file in your home directory (VG-Sudoku.conf). There are no skins available yet, but VG Sudoku is still very customizable!

Here are some key features of "VG Sudoku":

· It automatically generates the candidates for each cell
· It can show you the row / column / 3x3 box you are currently at, so you know where to look for conflicts.
· It allows you to quickly see the cells in the puzzle that can or cannot accept a specific number. (Click and hold on a cell with a number to see where in the whole puzzle this number can be inserted - clear areas - and where it cannot - shaded areas).
· It enables you to hide candidates that cannot really be entered in the selected cell, because of logical conflicts, although there might not be any immediate row / column / box conflicts. This can really help clean-up your puzzle and solve it much quicker! Just right-click on a cell to display the Exclude... pop-up, or show the Hide candidates pad (in the View menu) to avoid the right-clicking and use a cooler interface!

Requirements:

· Java 5

What's New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]

· The first alpha public release!
· All functions operate correctly, but have some rough edges!
· Some errors are not treated gracefully (program may become unstable)
· Loading an incorrect puzzle or definition will just produce an exception
· These issues aside, the program should operate OK!