ノヘサノムヘヘヘムサノヘサ コ W ココウ Alt ウココ B コ ネヘシネマヘヘヘマシネヘシ PC CRYPTOGRAMS 1.0 (C) Copyright 1989 Blanchard Software All rights reserved PRELIMINARIES PC CRYPTOGRAMS runs on an IBM PC or clone with color or monochrome display. It requires 50k of storage and a floppy or hard disk drive. The first thing to do is to make a backup copy of the PC CRYPTOGRAMS disk. This is standard operating procedure, and I assume you already know how to do this. If you use a hard disk, then choose a directory and copy PC CRYPTOGRAMS and all of its files into the directory. Then you are ready to run the game. NOTE! The first time you run PC CRYPTOGRAMS it will create a file called STFILE.CGM in the current directory. This file keeps data for the PUZZLE STATUS display. If you ever want to clear the status display, you can erase the STFILE.CGM file. The program will create a new blank file the next time you run it. In the discussion below the symbol <CR> refers to the Carriage Return or Enter key. This is the large key marked with an angled arrow on the IBM keyboard. PLAYING PC CRYPTOGRAMS If you are running PC CRYPTOGRAMS from floppy disk drive A, then type A:<CR> to make A the current drive. If you are running from a hard disc, then make the hard disc the current drive, and choose the directory that holds PC CRYPTOGRAMS. To start the program type CRYPTO<CR>. The program will load from disk and will display a registration reminder and then an instruction screen. Read the instructions, and then press any key to continue. The program will next display the puzzle status screen. All of the cryptogram puzzles are identified by number. Next to each number there is a dot, the letter X or the letter P. The letter X signifies a completed puzzle. The letter P denotes a partially completed puzzle with partial solution stored. The dot signifies a puzzle which has not been done yet. You can select any puzzle from the list by typing the number and pressing <Enter>. You can quit PC Cryptogram by typing Q and pressing <Enter>. Once you have selected a puzzle, the program will read the puzzle text from disk and display the encrypted text on the screen. The puzzle screen begins with a header block that shows copyright information and brief instructions. Beneath the header block is a line of numbers and then the letters of the alphabet. The numbers are letter frequencies for the cryptogram. For example, if the number 15 occurs above the letter g, then there are 15 g's in the encrypted text. Beneath the alphabet is a line of underscores. As you guess letters, they will appear in this line and in the puzzle text. To guess a letter move the cursor to the appropriate underscore in the puzzle text or below the alphabet line. Then type the letter and press <Enter>. You may type more than one letter before pressing <Enter>. The program will make the letter substitutions throughout the text and in the alphabet list. If you change your mind about any letter, retype the letter anywhere it appears and press <Enter>. The program will make the correction throughout. You can also blank or delete any letter the same way. There are four program commands that you can issue from the puzzle screen. Use the End key to move the cursor directly to the COMMAND area. Type a command letter and press <enter>. C CLEARS all guessed letters. S shows the SOLUTION to the puzzle. N starts a NEW puzzle. P saves a PARTIAL solution and quits so that you can start the puzzle next time exactly where you left off. The Home key moves the cursor to the upper left corner of the puzzle working area. You can use the End and Home keys to speed cursor movement. When you solve a puzzle, the program displays a message at the bottom of the screen. Press any number or letter key to continue. The program returns you to the puzzle selection screen where you can pick another puzzle or type Q to quit. If you use the S command to look at the solution then PC CRYPTOGRAMS will not allow you to select that puzzle again during the current session. It will be marked with an N for "Not available" in the puzzle status display. If you quit PC CRYPTOGRAMS and then reload the program, all unavailable puzzles are made available again. If you think you have solved a puzzle, but the program doesn't confirm it, check the letters. You must have all letters entered correctly for the program to acknowledge the solution. ABOUT THE PUZZLE TEXTS All the puzzles presented in PC CRYPTOGRAMS are based on quotations or passages from well known books. They were chosen for humor and general interest as well as for puzzle qualities. I have removed hyphens from some paired words that are not hyphenated in modern practice. I have spelled out a couple of contractions that would have been too misleading. Otherwise, I have made no changes. In some puzzles I have included the author, and sometimes the title, in the text. I did not do this for all puzzles because many come from a single author, and repetition of the name would give away the puzzle. A list of authors by puzzle number is given below. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Puzzle text Puzzle text Puzzle text Puzzle text Puzzle text Puzzle text Puzzle text Ralph Waldo Emerson 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Samuel Johnson Ralph Waldo Emerson Mark Twain Lewis Carroll Puzzle text Arthur Conan Doyle Samuel Johnson Charles Dudley Warner 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Charles Dickens Mark Twain Samuel Johnson Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau Lewis Carroll Lewis Carroll Saki (H. H. Munro) Saki (H. H. Munro) Saki (H. H. Munro) Saki (H. H. Munro) Saki (H. H. Munro) Arthur Conan Doyle Puzzle text 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Puzzle text Puzzle text Puzzle text Denis Diderot Puzzle text Puzzle text Joseph Addison Jane Austen Sydney Smith Joseph Conrad Mark Twain Puzzle text Thomas De Quincey Mark Twain Puzzle text Puzzle text Samuel Johnson I have tested all of these puzzles. They are all solvable, but some are difficult. I have limited singleton letters to a maximum of four in a puzzle. I have eliminated puzzles where a singleton letter was part of a crucial word or where the singleton could not be determined unambiguously. The final two puzzles are presented with word spaces removed. For these puzzles I have chosen texts of almost 400 letters so letter frequencies are more reliable. I am interested in your comments about PC CRYPTOGRAMS. ERROR MESSAGES The error messages that PC CRYPTOGRAMS produces are listed below along with suggested remedies. Cannot create STFILE.CGM. Is disk or directory full? The most likely cause for this error is a full disk or a full catalog. Erase one or two files and see. Error in reading STFILE.CGM, the status file. The file has been corrupted or a disk error has occurred. Restore from a backup if you have one or erase the file and let PC CRYPTOGRAMS create a new copy. Error in writing to STFILE.CGM, the status file. The file has been corrupted or a disk error has occurred. Restore from a backup if you have one or erase the file and let PC CRYPTOGRAMS create a new copy. ERROR in reading the CRYPTO.TXT file The file is present on the disk, but PC CRYPTOGRAMS finds something wrong in the file. Restore the file from backup. ERROR. Cannot find the CRYPTO.TXT file. PC CRYPTOGRAMS checks the current drive and directory for its support files. The file is not present. You may have to reset the default drive, change the directory or copy files from backup disk. COMMERCIAL Blanchard Software also produces WORDS*WORDS, a word puzzle for people who like logical deduction problems. Registered owners say "a fascinating game", "great program", "a lovely and enjoyable game", "an intelligent amusing game".... Volume 1 is available from many shareware libraries and bulletin boards, or you can request information from the author. PLEASE REGISTER The author receives no payment from shareware libraries or bulletin boards that distribute copies of PC CRYPTOGRAMS. If you enjoy the game, please register your copy ($15 fee). I will send you Volume 2 of PC CRYPTOGRAMS with more than 150 new, different puzzles. PC CRYPTOGRAMS Volume 1.0 is shareware. You may freely make copies and share them with your friends as long as you give them all of the files and do not change any files. REGISTRATION FORM The PC CRYPTOGRAMS registration fee is $15.00 (PA residents add 6% sales tax). Please make check payable to Walter Blanchard. I will send you Volume 2 of PC CRYPTOGRAMS with more than 150 new cryptogram puzzles. Name: __________________________________________________ Street: ____________________________________ Apt.________ City: __________________________________________________ State: ____________________________ ZIP _____________ Where did you get your shareware copy of PC CRYPTOGRAMS? Do you read any computer magazines? If so, please list. Do you play crosswords, crostics or other word puzzles from a magazine? What magazines? Suggestions/Comments/Complaints about the program. Mail to: Walter Blanchard Blanchard Software P.O. Box 1650 Norristown Pa. 19401