Changes between Version 3 and Version 4 of SoC2011

Timestamp:

Jan 28, 2011, 6:04:01 PM (12 years ago)

Author:

Paul A. Bristow

Comment:

Added Checks & hashes proposal

SoC2011

@@ -31 +31 @@
 Mentors: Stefan Seefeld
 
+===  Checks & Hashes ===
 
+Check strings and digits are an invaluable tool for avoiding mistakes in data entry, storage and transmission.
+
+There are many public algorithms available, but not a coherent collection of C++ functions.
+
+The suggested project is to provide such a collection which is in a coherent format agreed by Boosters, fully tested (using Boost.Test) (including tests with various faulty input)
+and very fully documented to Boost Quality, using Quickbook, Doxygen, and AutoIndex in both html and pdf.
+
+A key target is to get it to a finished state, rather than to deal with all possible check types.
+
+Much code is already available (from Boost and elsewhere)
+(and I can contribute some to get off to a quicker start)
+so the project involves gathering it, and testing and documenting rather than much complex coding.
+
+The vexed question of whether to permit Unicode may come up,
+but I suspect that it would be better to stick to 7 bit ASCII chars:
+The project might flounder on just this issue alone.
+
+Any platform is OK, but it must use bjam to drive the build process. A good demonstration would be to 'package up' something trivially simple like ISBN or something from Boost Cyclic redundancy checks, preparing a jamfile, some Boost style tests, and some skeleton documentation in Quickbook.  
+
+Getting Boosters agreement about acoherent presentation format
+may be the most challenging part, needing astute interpersonal skills!
+Perhaps a Google group would be a useful place for this discussion? Views?
+
+Some possible items:
+
+  Simple modulo 256 etc check values and digits.
+
+  Boost's Cyclic redundancy checks codes http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_45_0/libs/crc/index.html
+  http://www.netrino.com/Embedded-Systems/How-To/CRC-Calculation-C-Code
+
+  MD5 hash http://www.md5.net/
+        
+  SHA hashes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHA-1 ...
+
+  Luhn algorithm  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luhn_algorithm
+
+  Verhoeff algorithm
+  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verhoeff_algorithm
+        
+  (These two are used by many of the others below).
+
+  European Article numbering EAN Symbol Specification Manual,
+
+  Universal Product Code, Uniform Code Council, Dayton, Ohio, USA.
+
+  Version of check used by Mastercard, VISA, and most other credit card companies.
+  http://www.beachnet.com/~hstiles/cardtype.html
+
+  Generalised to arbitrary radix version allowing any characters (not just digits).
+  Gene Callahan, Dr Dobb's Journal, Dec 1995, 131, 132 & 149.
+  Generating Sequential keys in an Arbitrary Radix.
+
+  IBAN International Banking format
+  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Bank_Account_Number
+
+  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine-readable_passport check digit
+
+  US driving licence
+
+  US Social security numbers
+
+ Canadian Social Insurance Numbers
+
+ UK National Insurance number
+
+ ISBN http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number
+
+ ISSN http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Serial_Number
+
+ POSTNET http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POSTNET
+ 
+ Bar codes http://www.dlsoft.com/services/CheckCalc/
+ 
+ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Check_digit#Other_examples_of_check_digits
+
+ Chemical abstracts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAS_registry_number
+ 
+ Vehicle Id Number  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_identification_number
+
+ And there are no doubt many, many more.
+
+Mentor(s):  Paul A. Bristow and others?
+
+
+
+
+
+