Log In Password Encoder

Today I worked on a major portion of Action Script code that will enable me to create log in "keys" for each student's name.

Above is an example of a generic log-in screen that I will use for the virtual labs/puzzlers.

The first seven spots are for the student's log in name. Every student will have a seven-letter (or number) name assigned to them at the beginning of the year. The name will basically be their actual first name plus some numbers if necessary to distinguish them from other students. (My log-in name above is "DENNIS1")

The second row has two parts.

The first part is a four-digit number. The students will get this number by completing the required video lectures. (These four numbers will be hidden within the videos. Students will write them at the bottom/left corner of their printed notes.) To participate in a virtual lab assignment the students will have to have watched the required video lectures. (The four digit Unit password above is "1234")

Then, after completing a virtual lab the student will be rewarded with one of the remaining two letters to the bottom row seen in the image above. The catch: THESE TWO LETTERS WILL ONLY WORK WITH THEIR OWN LOG IN NAME. (In the picture above I have typed in "GH" which was not the correct two digits for "DENNIS1" so I will only have a limited log-in.)

I have been working on an "encryption scheme" that will use (a) patterns in the a student's log in name and (b) a special "Unit key" for each unit. It will take these two and create a two-letter "code" for each student for each Unit.

For example: the Unit 3 key for the above example looks like this: "1234ABYZ"  Which means that the four-digit number to log in is "1234" and the "ABYZ" tells my program how to interpret a student's log-in name in order to come up with a two-letter key. The encryptor is piece of actionscript code that I created that knows how to interpret the Unit key, which is the 8-digit code that I create for every Unit that I will be teaching. (Did I mention that I spent 7 years as an officer in the US Navy? I learned a little something about codes and keys...)

I know this all seems a bit over-the-top, but it is going to be done in order to minimize students efforts at "copying homework" from one-another.

Time: 5 hours