CY-GEN.BA GY-GEN.BA helps you generate a file named CY-REG.DO, which you can MERGE into CYPHER.BA to alter that program's "registers". Registers are simply randomly scrambled strings consisting of the 94 ASCII characters between 33 and 126. From these registers are chosen characters to replace the original text. If you already have an unrelated file named CY-REG.DO, then rename it or save it to cassette or disk. To free memory before you run CY-GEN.BA you can eliminate the registers in the copy of CYPHER.BA in RAM. BUT, if you've still got files encoded with that version of CYPHER or if you may receive such files, then be sure to save a copy of that version under a unique name (CYPH-A.BA, CYPH-B.BA, CYPH-C.BA, etc.). Run CYPHER and press at the "File?" prompt at the beginning of the program, then type 36 37 38 etc. until you get a "?UL Error" message. If you've plenty of free memory, it would be faster to type "edit36- " then select (F7) and delete (F6) all of the register lines UP TO (not including) line 131. You'll then be ready to MERGE the new registers from CY-REG.DO into CYPHER.BA. Of course, if you're going to transmit enciphered files over networks such as CompuServe, then you'll have to find a means of getting the new set of registers and keywords to your correspondent. CY-REG files are in a form that can be encoded by CYPHER and then be printed in ASCII or barcode, transmitted or saved onto a cassette or disk. USING CY-GEN.BA When you run CY-GEN, you are admonished to draw cards containing the 94 characters from ASCII 33 to 126 from a "hat", as this is the best method of insuring true random selection. Simply cut up 24 index cards into quarters, go to the next screen by pressing any key, and copy each character at the top onto a piece of card. Be sure to underline each character as a number of them may be confused. You can, if you wish, choose the characters from those displayed on the screen, but just as computers cannot generate truly random numbers, neither can you. You'll always have proclivities toward one character over another. When you run CY-GEN the characters you enter are removed from the display. If you _do_ choose characters from the display, just choose from the remaining characters in a random fashion until none remain. Back to the opening screen... You can run CY-GEN at different times to build up a set of registers, adding one or more register strings each time. If CY-REG.DO already exists, CY-GEN will inform you of that and ask if you want to APPEND new registers to the file. If you answer NO, then you will be asked "Are you sure? Y/N". If you answer YES, the old CY-REG.DO file will be erased. Don't alter CY-REG.DO from Text. If you do, CY.GEN.BA may not properly count the number of registers already created. Should this happen, you can break this rule and enter CY-REG.DO from the main menu. Check that the lines are numbered consecutively from 36, which should contain the Z(0) string, up to the last you've entered [the highest possible line number is 129, which would contain Z(93)]. So the lines should go 36 Z(0)=..., 37 Z(1)=..., 38 Z(2)=... etc. If a down arrow appears below the opening screen, then press any key to proceed. The main screen shows all of the characters which appear on the 100/102/200's keyboard and the bottom of the screen appear the GRaPH keys combinations to select the remaining six characters. If you press a key which is not between ASCII 33 and ASCII 126, or if you select a character that has already been chosen, then the computer beeps at you. When a character is chosen, it is deleted from the screen. CY-GEN does not allow you to make a mistake. When all of the characters have been chosen, the number of registers in CY-REG.DO is displayed and you are asked whether you want to add another. If you have reached the maximum number of registers - 94 [Z(0) to Z(93)], which occupy lines 36 to 129 - you'll instead be returned to the main menu. MERGING CY-REG WITH CYPHER When you've completed CY-REG.DO, run CYPHER and press at the "File?" prompt. If CYPHER.BA contains the same number or fewer registers than CY-REG.DO then type: MERGE"CY-REG" The new registers, however many, will be merged into the program. But if CYPHER has more registers than CY-REG and you want to eliminate the extra lines, then enter the CY-REG.DO file and find the last line number. Go back to CYPHER, and type in the excess line numbers as shown earlier. Then merge CY-REG as above. CLEARING STRING SPACE Before you run CYPHER, be sure that you have CLEARed enough memory in Line 10 for the new registers. Each register contains 94 characters, so multiply the number of registers by 94 and add 99. Then type EDIT10 and change the "CLEARnnn" at the beginning of the line to the new number. For instance, if you merged in 31 registers [Z(0) to Z(30)], at the "Ok" prompt, type in 31 multiplied by 94 plus 99 as follows: Ok ?31*94+99 3013 Ok then type "edit10" and change the CLEAR569 at the beginning of the line to CLEAR3013 (the result above). Press F8 to exit Edit. If you get the message ?OS Error in line (whatever) then you've likely forgotten to clear enough string space in line 10. MEMORY REQUIREMENTS CYPHER requires 978 bytes plus the number of bytes you've CLEARed to run. (The version on CompuServe, with five registers, thus requires "1547 Bytes free" at the main menu.) If you have very little memory you'll get an "?OM Error". CYPHER checks to see whether it has the number of bytes required and, if not, the message "NOT ENOUGH MEMORY" will appear. In either case, return to the menu and clear some memory. --- James A. McGreevy, CompuServe #70206,1115