Advice on Programming Language

From: SecretCodeBreaker (thisisan_at_invalid.address)
Date: 11/24/04 

Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 21:01:21 GMT

I would like some advice about the choice of a programming language.

I am considering beginning a project to revise and 'reprint' my three book
series "Secret Code Breaker - A Cryptanalyst's Handbook."

I'm getting down to the bottom of the barrel with copies of the first
printing and I must decide to do either a reprint, revision or just let them
go out of print.

The project would essentially be this -

1. Edit and revise the text of the three books and combine them into one
volume.

2. Use word processor software that would allow for the 'printing' of single
copies that could be downloaded via the Internet. At this point I'm assuming
that creating an Adobe PDF file would be the way to go.

3. Revise (or rewrite) the programs that are a part of the three books using
current Windows technology.

4. Make those programs available also as downloads via the Internet and in
the form of a CD.

The programs for the first two books were written in QBasic. The third
book's program was written in C++. All of the programs from the view point
of the user look the same (simple DOS programs) and all will run on a plain
old DOS platform or in a 'Window.' None require any Windows support and no
special features are used (like a mouse).

Chris Card wrote the Secret Code Breaker Monoalphabetic Cipher Solver
program using C++ and that program requires a Windows platform on which to
run. I like the 'appearance' of this program and I recall that it was
necessary to write it in C++ because of a 'speed' requirement for some of
the complex algorithms it required. Dave Smith wrote the Secret Code
Breaker PolyAlphabetic Cipher program using Visual Basic and it has a nice
appearance also. Speed was not an issue in this case, and would not be an
issue for the programs that are part of the three books.

My primary requirement is that the programs have a long shelf life. The
first book's program was written in 1993 and it still runs on any Windows
machine today (and on a Mac with emulation). Their primary drawback today is
that they 'look like' old programs and don't use a mouse. Most users today
are lost if they can't use the mouse.

Any way, what would you recommend as a programming language for re-writing
these programs? Visual Basic, C++ or is there another language that would be
best?

Thanks for your opinion.

Robert Reynard
Author, Secret Code Breaker series of crypto books

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