DAT files were used by the earliest versions of A2Z Word Puzzler. Although support for this file format was phased out many years ago, if you come across an old DAT file, you might still be able to use it.
1. Open the .DAT file in Notepad (or another text editor)
2. Edit the word list so it is in the following format:
Word1<TAB>Def1<TAB>Cat1
Word2<TAB>Def2<TAB>Cat2
Word3<TAB>Def3<TAB>Cat3
Word4<TAB>Def4<TAB>Cat4
Word5<TAB>Def5<TAB>Cat5
where the <TAB>s are replaced by actually hitting the TAB key on your keyboard. Categories are optional. If a word has more than one category, these should be separated by spaces.
3. If you are using a word processor such as Word to create the file, use the Save As option in File menu to save the file as a text file. It will not work if you save it as a Word document..
4. Start up A2Z Word Puzzler and go to the Word List Editor. Choose the "Import from a TXT file" option from the File menu.
5. Locate your edited DAT file and import it.
Try using theFind/Replace option in your text editor to automate the process of converting it to the correct format.