CryptoAid v 1.3
- a Palm application to help you solve Simple Cryptograms


New: 32 Longer Cryptograms to solve from

Cryptogram Weekly website at the bottom of this page!

(updated Oct 5, 2003)

Program & docs
.zip


- or -

Program only
.prc


This freeware application will make solving the Daily or Weekly Cryptogram in your local paper easier. Solving these puzzles is a FUN pastime for me, but there wasn’t a Palm app when I started to program this one about 24 months ago.

This is my first Palm application. I used PocketSmalltalk, since I was intrigued with Object Oriented Programming, it seemed to have all the functionality I need to do this app, with no runtime requirements, and it's free. This took me a year to write v1.1, as I had to learn smalltalk, PocketSmalltalk, from scratch. I did it mostly from trial and error, and studying the program samples and tutorials, using the IDE found at the Pocket Smalltalk website, and several books from the library. I enjoyed figuring out language, though I'm still confused. I'm sure I can’t tell you the different between a List, a Character or a String, but, hey, the program finally works!

I’ve included about 32 cryptograms which I’ve found at the Cryptogram Weekly site listed below. THIS IS A GREAT SITE. Sorry, I have NO IDEA what the correct solutions are, but at least you won’t have to key them in, just use the PASTE button! Solving these is what’s the FUN anyway. ..Enjoy.

Tom Moughan
==> ==> CryptoAid Homepage


My Links to Cryptograms on the Net

  • You can subscribe to get a daily email with a Cryptogram at the Wordles web site.

  • You can get 10-15 new "common themed" puzzles each week at Cryptograms Weekly .
    HINT: subscribe to this page with Avantgo and Edit> Copy the puzzles to the memopad. In MemoPad, bring up the Copied page, select a puzzle and use Edit> Copy from the menu. Startup CryptoAid and use the <Paste> button.

  • You get a new puzzle every day at The Cryptogram Corner. Explore the links at the bottom of this page too!


Version History

V1.3 – Now CryptoAid restores puzzle and solution from session to session.
I've figured out how do to a database, and now reload any puzzle and solution from session to session.
When you hit (GO) the current puzzle is saved. When you hit (IS), the current solution is saved.

v1.2 – ScrollBars !!! Thanks to Ben Hultink who shared his methods to get my scrollbars working!

  1. FIXED bug: when you hit (PASTE) with nothing in the clipboard, program abended.

  2. FIXED bug: when you hit (IS) before you hit (GO), program abends.

  3. NEW: Longer Puzzles and SCROLLBARS!!!
    Now you can use CryptoAid with larger, up to 1000 character cryptograms. The two scrollbars are linked, so you can scroll either one and both text fields will scroll. When you have the text scrolled down, and guess another letter, the text fields will stay "down".

v1.1 - initial release. Okay, I was anxious to share this


Zip file contents: [Zip file may be distributed freely.]

  • CryptoAid.prc - the Palm application

  • CryptoAid.html - this file, and the .gif pictures it needs

  • crypto.zip - PocketSmalltalk source file (.ST), icons, resource file(*.RCP)

How to use:

1.

Enter the Cryptogram in the top text area. You can find these in local newpapers, puzzle books, and various sites on the web.

2.

Since it may be a chore to get that Cyrptogram in, you can also Paste a previously copied Puzzle text into the top section.See the next section for cryptograms to load and paste.

You can put these into a Memopad entry via the Palm Desktop, sync to your Palm. On the Palm, highlight a puzzle and select Edit>Copy. Next go to Applications, and start CryptoAid. Hit the (Paste) button, and the copied puzzle will be filled in for you in the puzzle field.

3.

Hit (GO) or (IS) and the puzzle letters will be changed to ALL CAPS, and copied to the lower section as question marks.

All punctuation remains unchanged, though word wrap and letter widths may cause words not to lineup above and below.

4.

Select the puzzle Crypto: letter and your guess for the Solution letter, then hit the (IS) button

The Solution letter will replace the Question mark in all of the places where the Crypto letter is..

5.

These Popup lists are fancier than writing in a character but they were a puzzle to figure out how to do, (more enjoyment for me), so I left them in.

6.

If you select a solution letter you’ve already used, the previous guess will be changed back to question marks.

I.E., if you first guessed, N is A, and then later, that W is A, the program will undo all of the Solution letters matching N, back to a question mark for you





Some Cryptograms to paste in and solve

From : Cryptograms Weekly .


Cryptograms: B Good authors whose last names begin with B


1.PGEDG EW HIXXIU, XK HI UJTIY HL KRI XLUZRX XGUII XGKJWZRY BETIW ZPZL, KU HL XGUII XGKJWZRY XLUZRXW RKX Z BETI ZPZL? - BZXGIU HLTIW


2. VBB TY XCS VDPRVBL SHMSWXPDA RVD IDTZ XCVX XCS WOPDMPWBS GNLPDSLL TY BPYS PL XT SDETJ PX. BPYS PL BPIS WBVJPDA V QPTBPD PD WNGBPM VDK BSVODPDA XCS PDLXONRSDX VL TDS ATSL TD. - LVRNSB GNXBSO


3. HRSDS LE B KDLTXLKCS VP DSPCSXHLVT LT AST, FM QRLXR HRSM OLEHLTZILER FSHQSST, BKKDVJS BTO OLEBKKDVJS HRSLD VQT BXHLVTE. HRLE KDLTXLKCS LT ABT, FM QRLXR RS BKKDVJSE VD OLEBKKDVJSE RLE RSBDH, HSAKSD, BTO BXHLVTE LE XVTEXLSTXS. - UVESKR FIHCSD


4. DJLEA RH AUL FTQSMFA TW E PEQ GUT ILAH JLGEJSH AEBL FEJL TW AULPHLICLH--FTPL RW AULX GRII TJ WERI AT FTPL-- YMA DTLH TQ URH GEX, AJML AT AUL AJMAU HRPNIX YLFEMHL RA RH AJML, HAJTQDIX ITXEI AT AUL JRDUA WTJ RAH NMJL JRDUALTMHQLHH. - NURIIRNH YJTTVH


5. ENFRO KNF NBUO RFSO SOBQR ENVQL ENBE ENO SFRE VSAFYEBQE ENVQI VQ ENO KFYCM VR CFUO. ENO AFFY LQFK ENBE VE VR SFQOT. - IOYBCM XYOQBQ


6. OKH BZHQOHEO JQABHZE OG ULVHZOR UWZF LA LAELJLGWE HAIZGQIKDHAO VR DHA GX PHQU, THUU-

DHQALAB, VWO TLOKGWO WAJHZEOQAJLAB. - UGWLE J. VZQAJHLE


7. PGX DGZDS WZ G ZUSFWSZ JQ PGX VJOGNZ. LS XSTOGXS NWQS PR JAO QJNNWSZ GMX BWFSZ, GMX DISM FJVUNGWM DIGD DIS AMIGUUWMSZZ LIWFI WZ JMNR DISWO GFFJVUGMWVSMD WZ WMISOSMD WM DIS FJMZDWDADWJM JQ DIWMTZ. - F. M. PJBSS


8. YZC WNTICG DH NGG ZKMYDTL KM YZC UNYKCXAC PKYZ PZKAZ WCX NXE PDWCX MJSWKY YD SJTECXM JXXCACMMNTKGL GNKE JUDX YZCW SL YZCKT FDICTXWCXY. - PKGGKNW C. SDTNZ. ZKMYDTL KM HTNJE NFTCCE JUDX. -

SDXNUNTYC


9. BCSAS'F OI BDHS MDRS BCS JASFSOB QIA JIFBJIODOK GCNB WIY XIO'B GNOB BI XI. NOWBCDOK DF JIFFDUMS DQ WIY XIO'B ROIG GCNB WIY'AS BNMRDOK NUIYB. -NABCYA UMIEC


10. PZW EWHTPTQYPW YTQ CI NLTPTNTDQ TD PC VTLWNP YPPWOPTCO PC PZW WSNWEEWOP. IETLPYPTCO TD Y NTLNAEYPTOH ETGLYLB TO KZTNZ KW DWEVCQ YDR PKTNW ICL PZW DYQW JCEAQW. - NZLTDPTYO GCJWW


11. AFT BFTTZ AFSA OIWTSDO AFT ZKWCTOA MO AFT KJT AFSA PTAO AFT PETSOT. GETCMA MO ZMDT GFSOAMAL, AFTL GSJ YKAF OASJC ATXUASAMKJ YTAATE AFSJ OWOUMGMKJ. - NKOF YMZZMJPO


12. GFHBDF ZAJPBIJ DJVCXVJABX AD JPF DJVJF KBDJ LVWBGVOTF JB PVHHAXFDD. HVDDABX TBBND XBJ OFQBXM JPF KBKFXJ BL AJD FEADJFXYF. OFJJFG, AJ DVQD, JPF NADDFD BL TBWF JBMVQ, JPVX JPF LFTAYAJAFD BL PFVWFX VLVG BLL. - Y. XFDJFTT OBWFF


13. EQFL: Q ELEZLS JN UPL HVRJVIKYLSLY, JS VLAFKAKZFL ILW. UPL EQFL JN UPL PHEQV SQRL ... PQI UMJ OQSKLUKLI: AJJY GSJOKYLSI QVY ZQY GSJOKYLSI. -QEZSJIL ZKLSRL


14. BTEYRMXWLPW LW EMT WPLTSPT HA RDHCLSZ GMYE GT FH SHE NSFTDWEYSF. YW WPYDPT YW EDNEM LW, EMT WNRRUX MYW YUGYXW QTTS LS TKPTWW HA FTBYSF. - VHWM QLUULSZW


15. E TWXBILQEC AV E QEC OMJ RCSXBYENXV YMX QECEIXQXCY JD JRB VZABAYREW EDDEABV EV E QXYMJS JD KXYYXBACI MAV YXQZJBEW JCXV. -EQKBJVX KAXBTX


16. AJQIDRI, YOID DPGOJDL DIIT CI AFJT, JA GOI IQPMWIDRI PU TJARVIGJPD. OFVT YPVXIVA FVI WAWFQQZ OPDIAG. JDTWAGVZ QJUGA GOIN FCPEI GINSGFGJPD. - ROVJAGJFD D. CPEII


Cryptograms Topic: Pained Expressions


1. C ZTGP INP RLE INLI SLE KRCZP CE IOTDVZP, INLI SLE QLINPO KIOPEQIN JOTR FCKIOPKK, LEF QOTH VOLGP VU OPJZPSICTE.


2. 'MSJ MDV RXJSAVJJ KY QSMMQV PSAHJ MK JDCSAG, RXM DV TDKJV DVFCM SJ YSCP, FAH TDKJV WKAJWSVAWV FZZCKLVJ DSJ WKAHXWM, TSQQ ZXCJXV DSJ ZCSAWSZQVJ XAMK HVFMD.


3. ND SKUTU ZIPS GU STLIGXU XUS NS GU NV ZQ CMQ, SKMS ZQ AKNXC ZMQ KMOU EUMAU. ZQ ALIVSTQ NP SKU FLTXC, MVC ZQ TUXNJNLV NP SL CL JLLC.


4. ZXBFB JNB ZXB ZDKBF ZXJZ ZNA KBO'F FURIF. ZXB FRKKBN FUIVDBN JOV ZXB FROFXDOB LJZNDUZ QDII, DO ZXDF ENDFDF, FXNDOC TNUK ZXB FBNMDEB UT ZXBDN EUROZNA; HRZ XB ZXJZ FZJOVF DZ OUQ, VBFBNMBF ZXB IUMB JOV ZXJOCF UT KJO JOV QUKJO.


5. UCYROIT RM OGOST UIXIO RU X DWOUURMF, DZI FCGOSMHOMI, OGOM RM RIU DOUI UIXIO, RU DZI X MOYOUUXST OGRW; RM RIU KCSUI UIXIO, XM RMICWOSXDWO CMO.


6. …XUIJ B DBJ UBH HG MBK NGKKEVAIQ BJQ VKGHAZAEAIQ AUI NUBHAZAO GM UZH DZJQ BH AG HECHNKZCI UZH VKGMIHHZGJBY CIYZIM AG AUZJPH UI QGIH JGA CIYZIFI UI UBH VKIVBKIQ UZDHIYM MGK AUI NGDDZHHZGJ GM IFIKO GAUIK NKZDI.


7. TI TY KQXQYYSJV IN IDQ DSHHTKQYY NW CSK IDSI DQ ZQ CQKISEEV WSTIDWGE IN DTCYQEW. TKWTBQETIV BNQY KNI XNKYTYI TK ZQETQPTKM, NJ TK BTYZQETQPTKM; TI XNKYTYIY TK HJNWQYYTKM IN ZQETQPQ LDSI DQ BNQY KNI ZQETQPQ.


8. TLJB TJ MIJ RAMBBNBC SQI RQPXJINXD, TJ QZCLX XQ IJKJKGJI XLMX ONIXZJ NP BQX LJIJENXMID. JOJID IJANCNQB NP CQQE XLMX XJMYLJP KMB XQ GJ CQQE; MBE N WBQT QS BQBJ XLMX NBPXIZYXP LNK XQ GJ GME.


9. WGUVUWRFV JC XQWG FUCJFV IFHR RGUT VFWPYFVFS. CQCHJWJPT JC RGF WPXHUTJPT PD XFUT CPQBC, UTS RGF AUTF PD UBB MPPS CPWJFRL.


10. XZQG XB CDGQRF GCC OZBQA XB BMGBBS GCC NRKZGNI; RG RM LBQUFBMM CFNI GZQG KRTBM BTBUIGZRFK RGM TQNJB. GZB KJRNG CP Q KCTBUFSBFG RM GZB OURSB CP Q XZCNB OCJFGUI.


11. VJEUY HJE YSWYDV VE PYKW VJY FOYUUGXB EC CPYYIEZ ZNUV, OGTY ZYX, NXIYPBE VJY CKVGBNY EC UNWWEPVGXB GV.


12. NTM QJYQKFCNVZQMC AP NTM OAYES VYM QAZNJZKVEEX QTVZLJZL, VZS NTM ARJZJAZC AP FMZ QTVZLM VECA; VZS VC LABMYZFMZN JC PAY NTM EJBJZL, VZS ZAN PAY NTM SMVS, JN JC NTM EJBJZL AZEX NTVN TVC VZX YJLTN JZ JN.


13. M PRHMRJR MW GQR RZSOHMGT EX UOW; OWC M PRHMRJR GQOG VRHMBMESY CSGMRY AEWYMYG MW CEMWB KSYGMAR, HEJMWB URVAT, OWC RWCROJEVMWB GE UOFR ESV XRHHEL- AVROGSVRY QOIIT.


14. PKI FNYMCBI SEO PKI TCOCZNMLNF STI LDPIE FL EISTMJ TIMSPIO, PKSP CP CF OCDDCZNMP PL ZMSFF PKIB FIRSTSPIMJ. LEI FPIR SYLXI PKI FNYMCBI BSVIF PKI TCOCZNMLNF, SEO LEI FPIR SYLXI PKI TCOCZNMLNF BSVIF PKI FNYMCBI SUSCE.


15. P QPR BZMM WPHH TAEEAG EXGJSLX EXA BJGMC BZEX P EXJSHPRC JWAR AGGJGH SWJR XZH TPUF EXPR ZR TAZRL CAEAUEAC ZR JRA HMK NPMHAXJJC. BXAR JRA ZH CAEAUEAC, P EXJSHPRC PGA HSHWAUEAC.


16. RW NCXMI GURD N HNJ GDW DNB CIJWMJKIP DUB CINBWJ UB SUTI XUYUJX HIPUKUJI RW RDI PINP. RDWHNB ONUJI JIIPB JW HWJMHIJR HNPI GURD DNJPB; DI DNB ICIKRIP N HWJMHIJR UJ RDI DINCRB WL NSS SWYICB WL SUFICRA. --

OCIBUPIJR NJPCIG VNKTBWJ