Monster Media 1993 #2/Image.iso/games1/cryptosw.zip/CRYPTO11.HLP

Text File | 1993-08-01 | 9KB | 302 lines

CRYPTO11.HLP - for USA-CRYPTO Version 1.1
Copyright 1993 Unicorn Systems Associates
All rights reserved.

*GENINFO,A
                  USA-CRYPTO General Information

Cryptography is the art (and science) of writing and reading in
secret.  It includes special signs, drawings, special inks &
paper, coding methods, and mechanical & electronic devices; all
for making written communications difficult for unauthorized
reading.  Shortly after creation of the written word, cryptography
was invented; to make secure the written communications of
governments, armies, statesmen, rulers and revolutionaries.

On a more basic level, many enjoy the challenge of solving puzzles
(in newspapers & magazines) referred to as cryptograms (or more
exactly substitution ciphers).

While PC's have the power to solve ciphers all by themselves,
that's no fun.  USA-CRYPTO is a PC system which helps a decoder (a
person) to find the solution, making this challenging task easier
and more fun.

For our purposes, a cryptogram or cipher starts with a message
written in clear uppercase English (referred to as PLAINTEXT).  As
an example:

     UNICORNS USED THE UNICYCLES.  <-- PLAINTEXT

The cipher is created by substituting other letters for those in
the plaintext.  For example, for each occurrence of a 'U',
substitute 'A'.

     A_______ A___ ___ A________.  <-- CIPHER (in progress)
     UNICORNS USED THE UNICYCLES.  <-- PLAINTEXT

Continue with N->B, I->T, C->W, E->M, S->Y, L->E to get:

     ABTW__BY AYM_ __M ABTW_WEMY.  <-- CIPHER (in progress)
     UNICORNS USED THE UNICYCLES.  <-- PLAINTEXT

Finishing up with O->Q, R->P, D->G, T->O, H->X, and Y->N.

     ABTWQPBY AYMG OXM ABTWNWEMY.  <-- CIPHER (completed)

Rare is the decoder who looking at the above line immediately
thinks of unicorns and unicycles.  But with a little trial and
error, brainpower, inspiration, and persistence, the solution set
('A'='U', 'N'='B', etc.) can be found.

USA-CRYPTO is a tool and a game.  Cryptograms from another source
(magazines, newspapers, spies, foreign agents, etc.) can be
entered as CIPHERTEXT into USA-CRYPTO using the keyboard, and
worked out to provide the plaintext solution.

USA-CRYPTO also includes a database of ready-to-solve ciphers to
eliminate the task of typing the ciphertext (a job where the two
finger method is sometimes better than a skilled typist).  USA-
CRYPTO maintains statistics on each cipher in the database.

All the ciphers in the database have a 1-to-1 relationship between
ciphertext and plaintext characters.  Also each cipher character
never equals the same plaintext character ('A' never equals 'A',
etc).  Only the 26 uppercase alphabet characters are substituted.

USA-CRYPTO runs an elapsed timer during any cipher.  When a
database cipher is solved in less than the current record time,
the database is updated with the Best Solution Time, and the
Decoder's Id (initials).

*DECODER,A
                          Decoder Screen

This is the main processing screen of USA-CRYPTO.  Entry of
plaintext characters on any of the 7 plaintext lines, fills them
into all corresponding plaintext positions.  Entry of a space,
fills space into all corresponding positions.

     <F3> allows all the plaintext (solution) to be cleared.
     <F5> allows input of a new cipher from the CRYPTO database or
          from the keyboard.
     <F7> displays a window showing the frequency of all cipher
          characters.

For ciphers from the database, <F9> will display a hint for the
character substitution at the cursor location, at a cost of 30
seconds of elapsed time.

Entry of the correct solution of the database ciphers, updates
statistical data on the cipher's record.

*PLTXT_CHARS,A
                      Plaintext Master Line

This field on the screen shows the code mappings of plaintext
characters to cipher characters.  As substitutions are entered in
this field, CRYPTO makes the corresponding substitutions in all 6
plaintext lines.

Entry of a plaintext character already used, sounds a tone, and
displays a message.  Press any key to continue.

To use a plaintext character already used, erase its use with a
space code on any occurrence of that plaintext character.  Entry
of the space, erases all substitutions for the code this field and
in all 6 plaintext lines.

<F1> for general help on the Decoder screen.

*PLTXT_LINE,A
                      Plaintext Detail Line

This field on the screen shows the code mappings of plaintext
characters to cipher characters.  As substitutions are entered in
this field, CRYPTO makes the corresponding substitutions on all 6
plaintext lines, and the plaintext master line in the upper left
corner.

Entry of a plaintext character already used, sounds a tone, and
displays a message.  Press any key to continue.

To use a plaintext character already used, substitute a space for
occurrence of that plaintext character.  Entry of the space,
erases all substitutions for the code in all 6 plaintext lines,
and in the plaintext master line in the upper left corner.

<F1> for general help on the Decoder screen.

*KYBRDIN,A
                  Keyboard (Cipher) Entry Screen

This screen allows entry of ciphers from other sources (magazines,
newspapers, spies, foreign agents, etc.).

The screen first shows any cipher text already in the program.
Any typographical corrections can be made using the keys listed
below.

<F3> clears all the cipher-text.

Carefully enter the new cipher text (the coded message).

<F5> saves the entry, returning to the main decoder screen for the
solution.

Some special keys to make the entry easier:

            <F6> - erases the current field.
        <SH><F6> - erases from the cursor to the end of the
                   current field.
            <F8> - goes to the next line.
         <Enter> - goes to the next line.
           <Tab> - goes to the next field.
       <SH><Tab> - goes to the previous field.
          <Home> - moves cursor to the left margin.
           <End> - moves cursor to the right margin.
        <Insert> - toggles the cursor between '_' (typeover mode)
                   and '▄' (insert mode).
        <Delete> - deletes the cursor character and shifts the
                   remainder of the line to the left.
     <Backspace> - deleted the character to the left of the
                   cursor, and shifts the remainder of the line
                   one space to the left.

*FROMFORM,A
                  Cipher Input Selection Screen

This window allows input selection of the cipher.  The window
comes up with the radio button set in the position last selected.

The <Tab> or arrow keys allow movement of the radio button to
CRYPTO database or Keyboard Entry.  After moving to your
selection, <Enter> brings up the corresponding entry window.

*DBINHLP,A
                   Database Input Radio Button

Move pointer to this prompt to retrieve ciphers from the Cipher
Master Database.

<F1> for general help on the Cipher Input Selection Screen

*KYBRDINHLP,A
                   Keyboard Input Radio Button

Move the pointer to this prompt to bring up the Keyboard (Cipher)
Entry screen.

<F1> for general help on the Cipher Input Selection Screen

*DBIN,A
                      Database Input Window

This window allows selection of a cipher from the CRYPTO database.

To solve a particular cipher, enter the number of the cipher.
Otherwise, <Enter> with no number, will retrieve the least
recently accessed cipher (earliest played date).

For either cipher, the screen returns statistics about the cipher
(but not the solution), and prompts "Continue [y/n]?".  <N>
returns to the window for re-entry of the number.  <Y> returns to
the decoder screen with the cipher text filled in.

<Esc> from any window, returns to the decoder screen.

*DBUPD,A
                      Database Update Window

This window appears after a CRYPTO database cipher has been
decrypted in less time than the stored best time.  The new elapsed
time is stored.

This window prompts for the id (initials) of the decoder.  After
entry, the screen prompts "Continue [y/n]?".  <N> returns to the
window for re-entry of the ID.  <Y> stores the Id, and updates the
record.

*FREQWIN,A
                         Frequency Window

This window shows the frequency of the cipher characters.  High
frequency characters would include plaintext {E, T, A, O, I, N}
and low frequencies would include plaintext {K, X, J, Q, Z}.

Although not related to the single character frequency window,
other most frequent short words would be:
     1 character - {A, I}
     2 character - {OF, TO, IN, AS, IS, BE}
     3 character - {THE, AND, YOU, FOR, WAS}
     4 character - {THAT, WILL, HAVE, WITH}
     5 character - {WHICH, WOULD, THERE}

<F7> or <Esc> returns to the decoder screen.

*DATA HELP,A
Select <Enter> or <Esc> to return to the previous help screen.
*MENU HELP,A
Select <Enter> or <Esc> to return to the previous help screen.
*SCROLL HELP,A
Select <Enter> or <Esc> to return to the previous help screen.