Thread: [Help] A simple encode and decode program

Hello everyone, this is my first post, and I have a problem I just can't solve and I don't know where I got wrong so I am here to ask you Masters to help me a newbie The problem is the result of encoded message can't not restore to the original message by the decoder. Here are my three class's code

SecureMsgMain:

package securemsg.core;   import java.io.BufferedReader; import java.io.IOException; import java.io.InputStreamReader; import java.util.Scanner;   import securemsg.database.*;   public class SecureMsgMain {  	public static String a = Encodevariables.a;	public static String b = Encodevariables.b;	public static String c = Encodevariables.c;	public static String d = Encodevariables.d;	public static String e = Encodevariables.e;	public static String f = Encodevariables.f;	public static String g = Encodevariables.g;	public static String h = Encodevariables.h;	public static String i = Encodevariables.i;	public static String j = Encodevariables.j;	public static String k = Encodevariables.k;	public static String l = Encodevariables.l;	public static String m = Encodevariables.m;	public static String n = Encodevariables.n;	public static String o = Encodevariables.o;	public static String p = Encodevariables.p;	public static String q = Encodevariables.q;	public static String r = Encodevariables.r;	public static String s = Encodevariables.s;	public static String t = Encodevariables.t;	public static String u = Encodevariables.u;	public static String v = Encodevariables.v;	public static String w = Encodevariables.w;	public static String x = Encodevariables.x;	public static String y = Encodevariables.y;	public static String z = Encodevariables.z;  	public static String dea = Decodevariables.dea;	public static String deb = Decodevariables.deb;	public static String dec = Decodevariables.dec;	public static String ded = Decodevariables.ded;	public static String dee = Decodevariables.dee;	public static String def = Decodevariables.def;	public static String deg = Decodevariables.deg;	public static String deh = Decodevariables.deh;	public static String dei = Decodevariables.dei;	public static String dej = Decodevariables.dej;	public static String dek = Decodevariables.dek;	public static String del = Decodevariables.del;	public static String dem = Decodevariables.dem;	public static String den = Decodevariables.den;	public static String deo = Decodevariables.deo;	public static String dep = Decodevariables.dep;	public static String deq = Decodevariables.deq;	public static String der = Decodevariables.der;	public static String des = Decodevariables.des;	public static String det = Decodevariables.det;	public static String deu = Decodevariables.deu;	public static String dev = Decodevariables.dev;	public static String dew = Decodevariables.dew;	public static String dex = Decodevariables.dex;	public static String dey = Decodevariables.dey;	public static String dez = Decodevariables.dez;  	String enmsg = null;	String demsg = null;  	public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {	run();	}  	public static void run() throws IOException {	BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));	String option;	print("================================");	print("encode [Add protection to input]");	print("decode [Read the protected info]");	print("================================");	option = in.readLine().toLowerCase().trim();  	while (option != null) {	BufferedReader code = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));	if (option.equalsIgnoreCase("encode")) {	String enmsg = code.readLine().toLowerCase();	enmsg = enmsg.replace("a", a).replace("b", b)	.replace("c", c).replace("d", d)	.replace("e", e).replace("f", f)	.replace("g", g).replace("h", h)	.replace("i", i).replace("j", j)	.replace("k", k).replace("l", l)	.replace("m", m).replace("n", n)	.replace("o", o).replace("p", p)	.replace("q", q).replace("r", r)	.replace("s", s).replace("t", t)	.replace("u", u).replace("v", v)	.replace("w", w).replace("x", x)	.replace("y", y).replace("z", z);	if (enmsg != null) {	print("Message encoded to " + enmsg);	enmsg = null;	run();	} else {  	}	}  	if (option.equalsIgnoreCase("decode")) {	String demsg = code.readLine().toLowerCase().replace(dea, "a")	.replace(deb, "b").replace(dec, "c")	.replace(ded, "d").replace(dee, "e")	.replace(def, "f").replace(deg, "g")	.replace(deh, "h").replace(dei, "i")	.replace(dej, "j").replace(dek, "k")	.replace(del, "l").replace(dem, "m")	.replace(den, "n").replace(deo, "o")	.replace(dep, "p").replace(deq, "q")	.replace(der, "r").replace(des, "s")	.replace(det, "t").replace(deu, "u")	.replace(dev, "v").replace(dew, "w")	.replace(dex, "x").replace(dey, "y")	.replace(dez, "z");	if (demsg != null) {	print("Message decoded to " + demsg);	demsg = null;	run();  	} else {  	}	} else {	print("Unknown input");	System.out.println();	run();	}	}	}  	public static void print(String input) {	System.out.println("[SecureMsg] " + input);	}   }

Encodevariables:

package securemsg.database;   public class Encodevariables {  	public static String a = "q";	public static String b = "w";	public static String c = "e";	public static String d = "r";	public static String e = "t";	public static String f = "y";	public static String g = "u";	public static String h = "i";	public static String i = "o";	public static String j = "p";	public static String k = "a";	public static String l = "s";	public static String m = "d";	public static String n = "f";	public static String o = "g";	public static String p = "h";	public static String q = "j";	public static String r = "k";	public static String s = "l";	public static String t = "z";	public static String u = "x";	public static String v = "c";	public static String w = "v";	public static String x = "b";	public static String y = "n";	public static String z = "m";         }

Decodevariables:

package securemsg.database;   public class Decodevariables {  	public static String deq = "a";	public static String dew = "b";	public static String dee = "c";	public static String der = "d";	public static String det = "e";	public static String dey = "f";	public static String deu = "g";	public static String dei = "h";	public static String deo = "i";	public static String dep = "j";	public static String dea = "k";	public static String des = "l";	public static String ded = "m";	public static String def = "n";	public static String deg = "o";	public static String deh = "p";	public static String dej = "q";	public static String dek = "r";	public static String del = "s";	public static String dez = "t";	public static String dex = "u";	public static String dec = "v";	public static String dev = "w";	public static String deb = "x";	public static String den = "y";	public static String dem = "z";         }

Here are some example output/input from the console:

[SecureMsg] ================================
[SecureMsg] encode [Add protection to input]
[SecureMsg] decode [Read the protected info]
[SecureMsg] ================================
encode
hi
[SecureMsg] Message encoded to gg
[SecureMsg] ================================
[SecureMsg] encode [Add protection to input]
[SecureMsg] decode [Read the protected info]
[SecureMsg] ================================
decode
gg
[SecureMsg] Message decoded to xx

So if you know where I got wrong please help me Thank you very much!

Welcome to the forum! Thanks for taking the time to learn how to post code correctly. If you haven't already, please read this topic to learn other useful info for new members.

This is probably the most unique and complicated approach I've ever seen to a simple substitution cipher. A more common and simpler approach is to use an array that maps the cipher text to clear text and vice-versa. For example, since 'a' = 'q', to cipher, an 'a' would be replaced by 'q', the first element of the cipher array. To decipher, since 'q' is the first element of the cipher array, it matches to 'a'. This simpler substitution approach can be done with addition and subtraction.

Can you give me a example of converting "a" to "q" and "q" to "a" ? Thank you.

--- Update ---

I am kinda new to Java, so can you give me a example of code convert "a" to "q" and vice-versa? Thank you very much! Much appreciated