Jumble Helper

an anagram-forming helper for unscrambling tasks without the aid of a dictionary

Current version: 1.0

This program takes in a string of characters and allows the user to manipulate it to make a phrase. As you type the unjumbled phrase, letters will move from the "remaining letters" area to the "used letters" area.

Console (command-line interpreter (CLI)) version:

Run as "jumblehelper [string]" to do the jumble. If string is not specified, the user is prompted for it. Then type the unjumbled phrase. Follow on-screen directions for further instructions.

Graphical version:

Run jumblehelper and type the letter string in the "Letters to be jumbled" box, then press Enter or click OK. Then type the unjumbled phrase in the "Unjumbled phrase" box. Hitting Enter or clicking OK starts over with the same letters. Change the source letters and press Enter or click OK to start with a new letter set.

Compilation:

    cd [version]
    make

or

    make [version]

does the compilation for the specific target.

Cleanup:

    cd [version]
    make clean

or

    make [version]-clean

removes compiled data and executables.

Versions:

mingw:

creates the Windows version under Cygwin or MSYS, using MinGW (Minimalist GNU for Windows). This version can be run under Windows without using Cygwin. To compile under Windows, install MinGW from MinGW-[version].exe and MSYS from MSYS-[version].exe, both available from http://www.mingw.org/. To compile under Cygwin, install w32api, binutils, and mingw-runtime using Cygwin's setup.exe.

unix:

creates the console version under any flavor of Unix, including Cygwin. Requires the ncurses library.

Typical example:

Console version:

    $ jumblehelper
    Enter the letters to be jumbled: aablllpy

--or--

    $ jumblehelper aablllpy

[screen clears]

    Type the letters in a phrase (spaces and punctuation ok).
    The letters you type disappear from the set as you type them:
    [Ctrl-C quits]
    [~ exits, showing the phrase]
    [Ctrl-U clears the line and starts over]
          P
    AABLLL Y => P

. . . [showing changes of last two lines only]

       L  P
    AAB LL Y => PL
    
    A  L  P
     AB LL Y => PLA
    
    A  L  PY
     AB LL   => PLAY
    
    A BL  PY
     A  LL   => PLAY B
    
    AABL  PY
        LL   => PLAY BA
    
    AABLL PY
         L   => PLAY BAL
    
    AABLLLPY
             => PLAY BALL

. . . [after pressing ~]

[screen restores]

    Original string: aablllpy
    Your phrase: PLAY BALL
    
    $

Graphical version:

Windows XP screenshot (Luna theme):

Windows XP screenshot (Aqua theme; requires uxtheme.dll hack (like this easy Neowin one)):

Animated Windows 2000 screenshot:

Requirements:

• Unix: compilation and binary: ncurses library
• Windows: program: 32-bit OS (9x/NT/ME/2000/XP/2003); compilation: Makefile supplied for MinGW

For more downloads and other stuff, see the SourceForge project page for Jumble Helper.