HintDecoder v1.1 (c) Copyright 2001 by Thomas Chapman
====================================================================

HintDecoder is distributed as freeware. Feel free to pass it along to your friends and family.

*** Cache In, Trash Out ***
Next time you go out to hide or seek out a cache, bring a trash bag along with you! Help clean up our world's forests one cache hunt at a time. If you have a camera, email a photo of your cleanup to "cacheintrashout@geocaching.com" and they'll create an online album to share your efforts. Teenagers may also be able to apply trail cleanup as part of their community service time. 



Table of Contents
==================================================
1.  Introduction & Overview
2.  Disclaimer
3.  Content of the Zip archive
4.  System Requirements
5.  Installing/Upgrading
6.  Uninstalling
7.  Using the Program
  7.1  Copy and Paste the hint
  7.2  Writing or Typing the hint
  7.3  DragAndDrop Extension Module
  7.4  Having clear text in your hints
8.  Future Enhancements
9.  Bug Reporting
10. Registration & GPS information
11. Versions & Changes
12. Known bugs/Issues & workarounds



1. Introduction & Overview

Encrypted hints are provided with each of the geocache descriptions given on www.geocaching.com.  To save paper, I copy and paste each geocache description into a Memo on my Palm Desktop, this Memo then is Hotsync'ed to my Palm Handheld. HintDecoder was written so that, if needed, I could easily decode the hints.

Sometimes the hints are several paragraphs long! However, for simplicity of showing you how this works, the following is an example of a short hint that you can decrypt using the chart.

Ybbx gb gur fbhgu bs gur jngre.

	Decryption Key:
	A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
	-------------------------
	N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z
	
	(letter above equals below, and vice versa)

Now HintDecoder will do the work for you!

Enter "Ybbx gb gur fbhgu bs gur jngre." and HintDecoder returns "Look to the south of the water."

Now when you see a hint like the following you don't have to panic! With HintDecoder it is as simple as Copy, Paste, and Decode!

Tb hc 1100 Abegu va Cyrnfnag Tebir. Ghea yrsg ba 500 Rnfg. Gura ghea evtug ng n lvryq fvta.
Cnex ng gur gbc, gurer vf n fvta arne gung fnlf "Gur Ohepuf 1310 A 600 R" Lbh jvyy or noyr 
gb fcbg gur pelfgny fvgr sebz urer rnfl. Whfg fgneg urnqvat hc gur genvyf hagvy lbh ernpu 
gur Zheqbpx Pnany. Pebff ng gur juvgr oevqtr snegure njnl sebz gur Onea. Tb hc gur genvy 
whfg n yvggyr ovg yrsg bs gur cvcrf. Gurer ner znal genvyf, fb gurer vfa'g bar va cnegvphyne 
gb sbyybj. Whfg urnq gbjneq gur cvgf. Urnq hc gur evz bs gur pelfgny cvgf, naq vg vf guvpx 
va gur ohfurf, ol 2 ebpxf. Vg znl or cerggl uneq gb fcbg.



2.  Disclaimer

This program is provided without any warranty and the user accepts full responsibility for any damages, consequential or otherwise, resulting from its use. 

This archive is freely redistributable, provided it is made available only in its complete, unmodified form with no additional files.



3. The following files are included in the archive

	HintDecoder.prc 
	HintDecoder.txt



4. System Requirements

	Palm OS 2.0 or above.
	7K available RAM memory.



5. Installing/Upgrading

	Install this program using your Palm device install tool and then Hotsync.

	You can upgrade an older version by Hotsyncing the new version over the top.
	All settings and preferences will remain.



6. Uninstalling

	Delete the application from your device.
	All settings and preferences will be removed when you delete the application.



7.  Using the program

	HintDecoder can be used in the following ways:

	1.	You can Copy and Paste the hint into HintDecoder.

	2.	You can write or type the hint into HintDecoder.

	3.	You can use HintDecoder as an Extension Module to the DragAndDrop Prefs Panel.


  7.1  Copy and Paste the hint

	Copy the Hint from your MemoPad application and Paste the text into HintDecoder, the Paste button is for your convenience.
	Press the Decode button for the Hint to be decoded.
	If you wish to return the decoded message to MemoPad, simply hit the Copy button and paste the text into your memo.


  7.2  Writing or Typing the hint

	This is by far the least desirable method. You are more likely to make mistakes because of the garbled nature of the encrypted hint.
	Once the hint is entered, Press the decode button to decode the hint.
	If you wish to keep the hint, copy and paste it into MemoPad.


  7.3  DragAndDrop Prefs Panel Extension Module

	This is by far the BEST method of converting your hints while in MemoPad!  Very Quick and Easy!

	DragAndDrop can be found here:
	http://www.palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cfm?&prodID=1474

	1. Install the DragAndDrop Utility and get it working.

	2. You need to setup DragAndDrop to recognize HintDecoder as an extension module. 
		a. Go into the Prefs panel and select Drag&Drop.
		b. Make sure the "Copy selected text when tapped" option is turned off within DragAndDrop.
		c. Click on the "Module" tab at the top of the screen.
		d. Click on the Search button and let it run.
		e. Hint Decoder should show up as one of the options, make sure it is checked.
		f. You are now ready to use Drag&Drop.

	NOTE: If the DragAndDrop setup did not work for you, Please see the DragAndDrop manual as to how to set this up. Also try using the standard SimpleModule.prc as practice setting up Drag&Drop.
	
	3. Go back into MemoPad, and open your geocache description.
	4. Now drag and select the hint that you wish to decode.
	5. With the hint selected, click within the selection to bring up a small menu of options.
	6. Choose "Hint Decoder" and the selected hint will be decoded.  
	7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 and the hint will be encoded again.


  7.4  Having clear text in your hints

	Any text that has the [square brackets] around it will not be altered by the hint decoder. Clear text can allow a hint to give suggestions without revealing all of the hint at once. It gives the user an idea of what the hint is about before revealing it to them.

	For Example:

	[The hike] Vg vf orfg gb pvepyr nebhaq gur onpx bs gur zbhagnva.  [The hunt] Nccebnpu gur ynetrfg gerr sebz gur Abegu naq lbh jvyy frr gur cvyr bs ebpxf jurer gur pnpur vf uvqqra.
	


8. Future Enhancements

	None at this time.



9. Bug Reporting

	To report a bug, or make a suggestion, you can contact me at:

	tcchap@hotmail.com



10. Registration & GPS information

This program is freeware.  There are no limits to its use.

If you like geocaching and wish to help the cause, you can donate to "geocaching.com" from their main page, just click on the PayPal (donate) icon on the bottom of the page.




11. Versions & Changes

1.1 - 10/10/01	- Added help to About screen
		- Added ability for square bracketed clear text

1.0 - 10/03/01	- Initial release.  



12. Known bugs/Issues & workarounds, if available:

	None at this time.