Tool to write text as a route. Route cipher is a transposition cipher method which consists in reading letters in a text according to a predifined route/path, as a serpentine road.
Route/Path Cipher - dCode
Tag(s) : Transposition Cipher
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Route/Path Cipher
Route Cipher Decoder
Route Cipher Encoder
Answers to Questions (FAQ)
How to encrypt using route cipher cipher?
Route cipher encryption consists of writing the text following a path/route often using laces (or serpentines). This type of writing is adapted to the use of a grid because it can be written on N columns, the first from top to bottom then the second from bottom to top and so on.
Example: The text DCODEROUTE, on a grid of height 3 read by row becomes DRO-CEU-ODTE
| \ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | R | O | - |
| 2 | C | E | U | - |
| 3 | O | D | T | E |
If the message does not fill the grid, add a character like - to end the column/row.
How to decrypt route cipher?
Decryption requires knowing the path (or at least the size of the grid) in order to write the letters of the message.
Example: The encrypted text PIN-AFD-THER on a grid of height 3 is written as
| \ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P | I | N | - |
| 2 | A | F | D | - |
| 3 | T | H | E | R |
Column reading according to the path 
returns the original text.
Example: The grid path reading returns PATHFINDER
How to recognize route cipher text?
The message has a coincidence index similar to that of the plain language because it is a transposition.
The number of characters is a multiple of the width and height of the grid (and therefore can not be a prime number).
How to decipher route cipher without the route?
The best method is to try diffrent sizes and try to see if the beginning of the message is readable. dCode allow testing multiple possibilities automatically in order to detect the most probable.
What are the variants of the route cipher?
On a grid of a given size, it is possible to write the text in the path of at least 8 (classical) ways (there are 2 possible directions for each of the 4 corners). Then reading can be a path too.
It is possible to imagine any type of path for letters, such as a spiral script. Another variant is Caesar box cipher.
Source code
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NB: for encrypted messages, test our automatic cipher identifier!
Questions / Comments
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