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======================================= CRYPTOGRAMMER V2.1 A fun word game solver, by Paul McGuire ======================================= INTRODUCTION - SOLVING CRYPTOGRAMS Cryptograms are word puzzles which encrypt a saying or pun using a simple substitution code. For example, the saying "A penny saved is a penny earned" might appear in a cryptogram as "B QFOOZ TBWFE JT B QFOOZ FBSOFE", by using the next letter of the alphabet in place of the original ("A" becomes "B", "B" becomes "C", etc.). Or, a random substitution sequence might generate "L RFSSG DLYFU CD L RFSSG FLISFU" ("A" becomes "L", "P" becomes "R", and so on). To decipher these codes, one looks for letter frequencies, groupings, and repetition to provide clues as to the encryption sequence used. Popular interest in cryptograms goes back to at least the 19th century. Arthur Conan Doyle had Sherlock Holmes decipher such a code in "The Case of the Dancing Men," in which stick figure men drawn in various positions were used as an encryption sequence for a secret message. Edgar Allan Poe in "The Gold Bug" narrates the deciphering of a message describing the location of buried treasure. (The Gold Bug message is included in this kit for you to try your own hand at breaking the code.) Nowadays, cryptograms are commonly found in word game magazines, or in the newspaper next to the crossword puzzle. Solving cryptograms requires an initial trial-and-error process. When solving by hand, this usually involves repeated markings and erasings as different substitutions are tried out. However, using CRYPTOGRAMMER, the letter translation is automatic, and trial-and-error is a far simpler process. In addition, CRYPTOGRAMMER provides a simple toolkit for tallying frequencies of letters, doubles, 2- and 3-letter words, and provides references on typical frequencies found in everyday usage. GETTING STARTED - At the DOS prompt (after having extracted all files from the provided .ZIP file), enter the command to run CRYPTOGRAMMER: C:> CRPTGRAM While the cryptograms are being read, you will be shown the title screen. Press a key when prompted (the space bar will do), to move to the main editing screen. GETTING HELP - Pressing F1 at the main editing screen will display a window giving further explanation of the key choices at the bottom of the screen; you may scroll through this help text, using the arrow and Page Up/Page Down keys. Pressing Escape will exit the HELP window, and return you to the main editing screen. CHOOSING A CRYPTOGRAM - Pressing F2 at the main editing screen will display a scrollable menu of available cryptograms. The topmost choice will be highlighted. You may move the highlight bar using the Up and Down arrow keys, and the PageUp and PageDn keys. If there are more cryptograms than will fit in the menu display, moving the highlight bar will also scroll the menu. To choose a cryptogram, highlight it and press Return; to exit the menu without making a choice, press Escape. Pressing Return or Escape will return you to the main editing screen. CRYPTOGRAMMER: V2.1 Page 2 DECIPHERING THE CRYPTOGRAM - Once you have selected a cryptogram, you will see the main editing screen. The screen has two parts: the cryptogram/translation display in the top portion of the screen, and the alphabetic key at the bottom of the screen. When you start, the cursor will be located under the letter "A" in the alphabet at the bottom. You may move the cursor left or right using the left and right arrow keys. If you wish to try a translation of a letter move the cursor under the letter as it is used in the cryptogram; then press the letter you think is the correct substitution. All instances of the cryptogram letter will have the substitution letter displayed beneath it. If you later wish to change this letter, you may simply type over it. Or to erase it, and return it to a blank, press the space bar. For example, if you see the 3-letter word "UKR" used several times in the cryptogram, you might check if this equates to the word "THE". Move the cursor under the "U" in the "CODE:" display, and press "T"; all the "U"s in the cryptogram will show a "T" underneath in the translation lines. Repeat for "K" and "R", substituting "H" and "E". Now review the other parts of the cryptogram to validate your assumption. If you find a 2-letter word showing as "T_", you might continue working the cryptogram, plugging in "O" for the second letter, and so on. However, if you find some other word showing as "__HH___", you should consider whether "UKR" is really "THE" - there are not too many words in English with double H's in them. (Try "AND" instead of "THE".) Using CRYPTOGRAMMER, it is easy to experiment with different ideas about how the cryptogram might be translated. Another advantage is the access to a variety of simple tools to give hints on what paths might be more fruitful. USING THE TOOLS - Pressing F10 at the main editing screen will display a menu of deciphering tools. To select a tool, highlight it and press Return. Tools included are: - Letter frequency counter - Double-letter frequency counter - Two-letter word frequency counter - Three-letter word frequency counter - Punctuation cues The "counter" tools will walk the cryptogram currently displayed and give counts of letters, doubles, 2- and 3-letter words, respectively. For each letter, double, etc., the screen will show the cryptogram letters, the observed count, and any translation thus far, with other letters you may have already translated (this partial translation is especially helpful in the 2- and 3-letter words). A second pop-up box will show you reference frequencies for the 26 letters of the alphabet, and for common double-letter and 2- and 3-letter words. The punctuation tool gives some hints on how to use punctuation within the cryptogram to guess surrounding letters. Exit the selected tool by pressing Escape; exit the TOOLS menu by pressing Escape again. CRYPTOGRAMMER: V2.1 Page 3 MOUSE SUPPORT - CRYPTOGRAMMER will support a Microsoft-compatible mouse. Move the mouse to scroll through help and menu displays. Use the left mouse button to select function labels or to select a highlighted menu option; this button is roughly equivalent to the F-function and Return keys. You can also move the CODE/PLAIN text cursor using the mouse: position the mouse cursor in the body of the cryptogram, or in the CODE/PLAIN alphabetic display at the bottom of the editing screen, and press the left mouse button. Use the right mouse button to cancel a menu or scrolling display, or to exit CRYPTOGRAMMER; this button is equivalent to the Escape key. (Be sure your mouse driver is installed before running CRYPTOGRAMMER.) ENTERING YOUR OWN CRYPTOGRAM - You can use CRYPTOGRAMMER to solve other cryptograms too, that you might find in a crossword puzzle book, or in the daily newspaper. To do so, you must first enter the body of the cryptogram. Pressing F3 at the main editing screen will display a cryptogram entry form. The title can be any name you wish; this title will be shown on the selection menu for the entered cryptogram. Use the RETURN or arrow keys to move from field to field in the entry form. Do not leave any blank lines in the body of the cryptogram (although you may have blank lines at the end of the cryptogram). Also, do not worry about upper or lower case in the body of the cryptogram; CRYPTOGRAMMER will convert to all upper case, as is customary in cryptograms. When you are finished entering your cryptogram, press F10; the form will be redisplayed with all upper-case letters, and you will be prompted to confirm your entry by pressing Return. If you press Return, you will go back to the main editing screen, and your entered cryptogram will be shown on the screen, ready to begin solving. If you press Escape instead of Return, you will go back to the entry form, to continue entering your cryptogram. If you press Escape while in the entry form itself, you will cancel the entry, and go back to the main editing screen as it was, before you selected cryptogram entry. NOTE: Entered cryptograms are not saved, and must be re-entered if you exit CRYPTOGRAMMER. CRYPTOGRAM DATA FILES - CRYPTOGRAMMER can accept a command line argument naming a file of cryptograms to be loaded. If no file is named, CRYPTOGRAMMER will use the file CRYP.DAT. However, if you have a different file of cryptograms, you can use it instead of CRYP.DAT using the DOS command (in this example, the filename is NEW.DAT): C:> CRPTGRAM NEW.DAT You can create alternate data files using the CRYPTGEN program. CRYPTGEN - CRYPTOGRAMMER is now distributed with the CRYPTGEN utility included. With CRYPTGEN, you can create your own CRYPTOGRAMMER data files, for yourself, family and friends. CRYPTGEN is similar to the cryptogram entry form embedded in CRYPTOGRAMMER, except that you enter your message in plain English, and CRYPTGEN generates an encryption code and stores the cryptogram CRYPTOGRAMMER: V2.1 Page 4 in a data file, ready for use by CRYPTOGRAMMER. You can also come back later and add new messages to an existing file. To use CRYPTGEN, simply run the program and specify your cryptogram data file (in the example, the data file is NEW1.DAT): C:> CRYPTGEN NEW1.DAT If NEW1.DAT is a new file, CRYPTGEN will prompt for your name and a "title" for your cryptogram file. These will be used to create a header record, with a copyright notice and the title (the title is primarily for your own reference; it is not used by CRYPTOGRAMMER). CRYPTGEN then displays a data entry form prompting for your cryptogram title, and the body of the message. Enter your message in plain text, using the Return and arrow keys to move from field to field. You may also specify "starters" or hints in the field labeled "HINT:". Enter in this field any characters you wish to give as a starting clue in the cryptogram. When you are done, press F10. Your message will be encrypted and displayed for your review. In addition, any hints you have given will be shown in the translation line on the bottom, as well as provided in the body of the cryptogram display. If you like the results, press RETURN, and the cryptogram will be added to the data file. You may press ESCAPE if you have made an error, or if you would prefer to re-encrypt the message, or add or change your starter. After your cryptogram is saved, you will be re-shown the entry form, so that you may enter another cryptogram. To exit CRYPTGEN, press ESCAPE at the entry form. LICENSE INFO / ORDER FORM You are free to use, copy, and distribute CRYPTOGRAMMER for NONCOMMERCIAL use if: - no fee is charged for use, copying or distribution - it is not modified in any way - it is distibuted in its original .ZIP file form Clubs and user groups may charge a nominal fee, up to $5, for expenses while distributing CRYPTOGRAMMER. If you find CRYPTOGRAMMER/CRYPTGEN enjoyable, please send in your registration of $5. To register your copy of CRYPTOGRAMMER, please use the order form below, and indicate your selection. (Special note: primary and secondary schools may receive a site license for $10; school dollars don't go far enough, and word puzzles can supplement early reading and writing curriculum - please send your registration on school letterhead.) CRYPTOGRAMMER, Copyright (c) 1992, 1993, by Paul McGuire. All rights reserved. CRYPTOGRAMMER Registration / Order Form (V2.1) Paul McGuire 50 Market Street #1A, Box 316 South Portland, ME 04106 Send CRYPTOGRAMMER to: ---------------------- Name: ___________________________________ Address: ___________________________________ City/State/Zip: ___________________________________ Order Form: ----------- ____ CRYPTOGRAMMER registration (including CRYPTGEN) $ 5.00 (You will receive V2.2 of CRYPTOGRAMMER, plus a data file containing 25 more cryptograms!) Optional: --------- - Have you solved cryptograms before? - Where did you download/copy CRYPTOGRAMMER? - Do you have any suggestions on how to improve CRYPTOGRAMMER?