README

INTRODUCTION
============
I am a member of the American Cryptogram Association (Nom:  WART) and a
self-proclaimed computer geek.  These two interests naturally came together
and as a result, I now have a fairly large set of code for displaying,
manipulating, analyzing, and in some cases solving a variety of
cipher types.  All of the cipher types present in this package are
best described in the Handbook for Members of the American Cryptogram
Association, "The ACA and You".

Many of the cipher types also have programs or scripts that will
solve them with little user intervention.  I find it a very interesting
exercise to write autosolvers.  However, using them without having any
knowledge as to how they work is pointless.  Therefore, the autosolvers
are provided as a proof of concept only and are poorly documented.

REQUIREMENTS
============
The interface uses the Tcl/Tk toolkit provided by Ajuba Solutions (formerly
Scriptics Corporation).  You will need to install Tcl/Tk before you
will be able to compile this software.  Development was done using
Tcl/Tk version 8.3.5, but all of the programs except tkcrithm should work
with any version 8.0 or later.

Some sample ciphers are also included.  They were taken from various 
issues of the Crytpogram, a publication of the American Cryptogram 
Association.

Current cipher types that are supported are:

* Amsco
*#Aristocrat
* Autokey
*#Baconian
* Bazeries
*#Beaufort
* Bifid
* 6x6 Bifid
*#Cadenus
*#Complete/Incomplete columnar transposition*
*#Cryptarithm
  Foursquare
  Fractionated morse
  Grandpre
*#Grille
  Gromark
*#Gronsfeld
*#Homophonic
* Morbit
*#Myszcowski
* Nicodemus
*#Nihilist transposition
*#Patristocrat (display as aristocrat)
* Phillips
* Playfair
* 6x6 Playfair
* Seriated playfair
*#Pollux (gui interface currently broken)
*#Porta
* Ragbaby
*#Railfence
*#Redefence (solve as myszcowski)
*#Route Transposition
*#Swagman
* Trifid
  Twosquare
*#Variant
*#Vigenere

Types tagged with '*' have an option or supporting script that will attempt
to solve the cipher (or come pretty darn close to it).

Types tagged with a '#' can be displayed and manipulated using the
graphical tool.

Documentation is avaliable in the doc directory.  Run "make doc" to generate
html files from these sources.

I'm always adding new cipher types and improving on the programs' abilities
to manipulate the existing ones.  If you have any comments/complaints/tips/etc.
please don't hesitate to mail me at wart@kobold.org.  I'm always looking for
more ways to improve the program.

--Wart
wart@kobold.org
September 23, 2001