Re: VMs: Word Endings

["Jeff" <jeff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "GC" <glenclaston@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <vms-list@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: 12 July 2003 23:39
Subject: RE: VMs: Word Endings


> Nick wrote:
>
> > One last thought on <ch>: whatever your position on the VMS, I think you
> > have to take a view on what the set of diacritic-like marks above
> > the <ch>
> > is all about. Some possible views (please suggest others) are:-
> > (a) meaningless
> > (b) ornamentation
> > (c) improvised (local meaning, personal to the encoder)
> > (d) semi-improvised (local meaning, part of a shared shorthand)
> > (e) systematic (global meaning, like a nomenclature)
> >

In my opinion the glyphs match in pairs. It is the pairing that determines
the plaintext character. It is a chain of pairs. ac could equal e AND vb
could equal e depending upon where they were mapped. There are x number of
glyph pairs where x = the letters of the plaintext alphabet. a table is
constructed that runs first row a..z next row b..za next row c..zab so each
column and row have all letters of the alphabet in offset sequences. It is
the reverse of the pair compression cipher. The words are not compressed but
maintain the same length with the first word having one extra letter to
start the sequence. All the encryptor has to do is find any position in the
grid with the first plaintext character. Then lookup the row and column
glyphs for that character. The glyphs are written and the second glyph is
used to indicate the next column or row to use to find the next plaintext
character. The glyph that intersects at this position is then written to the
cipher and becomes the indicator for the next column or row to search for
the next plain text character and so on and so forth. Anyone that wants any
extra information on this idea then let me know.

I haven't found exactly the right order for the glyphs along the axes but I
will post any advances asap.



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