Interface

This guide explains how to generate a strong password using the dicendo Android application.

A single die, a set of dice, or a shuffled deck of playing cards can be used. Standard dice are commonly available in sets of 12 or 36.

Note: The example passwords shown below are generated using the 85-character alphabet.

• 1. Interface overview
• 2. Status bar
• 3. Password panel
• 4. Input panel
• 5. Keyboard panel
  • 5.1. Keyboard panel, faces
  • 5.2. Keyboard panel, directions
  • 5.3. Primary keyboard panel, order
  • 5.4. Alternative keyboard panel, order
  • 5.5. Keyboard panel, cards
• 6. Options dialog

1. Interface overview

1. Status bar The status bar provides access to application options and help. It displays current status information, including selected mode and relevant configuration parameters. From this area, the user can open the help documentation and adjust available settings. The status bar ensures that key operational information is always visible.
2. Password panel The password panel displays the generated password together with its calculated entropy. It allows the user to copy the password to the clipboard and to clear all entered data in order to generate a new password. The displayed password is deterministically derived from the provided physical-randomness input and updates automatically when input data changes.
3. Input panel The input panel is used to enter physical-randomness data. Depending on the selected mode, it allows the user to provide dice face values, directions (N/E/S/W), and the permutation representing the order of dice, or the order of a shuffled active card deck. The panel validates the entered data and ensures that all required components are provided before password generation.
4. Keyboard panel The keyboard panel presents a context-aware keyboard adapted to the currently active input field. It provides only the symbols relevant for the selected data type (faces, directions, order, or cards), minimizing input errors and simplifying data entry. The keyboard layout dynamically adjusts to match the active panel.

2. Status bar

The status bar provides access to configuration options and help:

1. The Options control opens the options dialog, where the user can change alphabet settings, configure recent password behavior, and select cards available in cards mode.
2. The currently selected alphabet is displayed in the status bar and can be one of the following:
   • full default 85-character alphabet,
   • full+ 92-character, extending full with additional uncommon symbols such as space, semicolon, and special brackets,
   • simple 67-character, excluding visually ambiguous symbols,
   • hand 43-character optimized for handwritten transcription,
   • hex hexadecimal number,
   • dec decimal number,
   • nums a sequence of numbers within a user-defined range.
3. The mode selector switches between dice mode and cards mode. The two modes keep their input data independently, so switching modes does not erase data already entered in the other mode.
4. The status bar also provides direct access to the help documentation.

3. Password panel

The password panel displays the generated password and provides controls related to its management. It contains:

1. a control that clears all entered input data and reactivates the faces input. If enabled in options, this action also saves the current password to the recent passwords list,
2. a panel with informational fields indicating the current password entropy and its length, allowing the user to immediately assess the strength of the generated password,
3. a button that copies the current password to the clipboard,
4. the password string itself.

4. Input panel

The input panel displays and manages physical-randomness data required for password generation. In dice mode, it contains:

1. a counter indicating the number of entered faces,
2. a string showing the sequence of face values,
3. a counter indicating the number of entered directions,
4. a string showing the sequence of direction values,
5. a counter indicating how many numbers have been entered for the permutation,
6. the permutation string itself. The panel background color dynamically reflects the validity of the permutation data:
   • green indicates that it forms a complete consecutive sequence starting from 1,
   • yellow indicates that the sequence is incomplete or not continuous,
   • red indicates the presence of duplicated numbers.

In cards mode, the input panel shows the entered card sequence, its numeric representation, and the number of unique cards already entered from the active deck. The password is generated only after the complete active deck has been entered. If a card is disabled in Options, it is not accepted by the input panel; the remaining active cards are renumbered internally so that the permutation remains continuous.

5. Keyboard panel

5.1. Faces keyboard panel

The faces keyboard panel provides all controls required for entering face values. It includes:

1. a Paste button for importing data from the clipboard,
2. a Clear key for removing all entered face values,
3. Backspace key for deleting the last entered character,
4. a dedicated numeric keyboard restricted to valid face inputs (1–6), ensuring consistent and error-resistant data entry.

5.2. Keyboard panel, directions

The directions keyboard panel, in addition to the standard control buttons (Paste, Clear, and Backspace), provides a dedicated keyboard for entering direction data. It includes only the valid directional inputs (N/E/S/W), ensuring accurate and context-specific entry of orientation values.

5.3. Primary keyboard panel, order

The order keyboard panel, in addition to the standard control buttons (Paste, Clear, and Backspace), provides a numeric keyboard for entering the permutation sequence. It also includes a key that allows switching to an alternative keyboard layout.

The primary keyboard is designed for 12 dice. Once a specific number is entered, its corresponding key becomes disabled, helping prevent duplicate entries and reducing input errors. The alternative keyboard layout enables entry of a larger range of numbers, allowing permutations longer than 12 elements when required.

5.4. Alternative keyboard panel, order

The alternative order keyboard panel is intended for entering permutations longer than the standard 12-dice configuration. It provides an extended numeric layout that allows the user to input a larger range of consecutive numbers. Unlike the primary 12-key layout, which disables keys once used, the alternative keyboard supports flexible numeric entry suitable for higher cardinalities. The permutation string is still validated by the input panel, ensuring correctness, continuity, and the absence of duplicates.

5.5. Keyboard panel, cards

The cards keyboard panel is used for entering the order of a shuffled active card deck. It contains the standard control buttons (Paste, Clear, and Backspace) and a table of card keys arranged by rank rows (A at the top through 2 at the bottom) and suit columns (♣, ♦, ♥, ♠). Once a card is entered, its key becomes disabled to prevent duplicate entries. Cards disabled in Options are disabled here as well. If optional extra cards are enabled, they appear in the additional cards column.

6. Options dialog

The options dialog groups alphabet and password-history related settings in one place. It contains:

1. Alphabet settings: displays the active alphabet, its size, and its full character set. The CHANGE button opens a detailed alphabet preview and allows selecting a different alphabet.
2. Save password before clearing switch: when enabled, pressing CLEAR in the password panel first adds the currently displayed password to the recent passwords list (up to 254 entries).
3. Password split checkbox and length selector: when enabled, very long generated passwords are split into multiple shorter entries before being saved in the recent passwords list. The split length can be set from 1 to 32 characters, with default value 12. This affects only saved recent passwords; it does not change the password generated or copied from the password panel.
4. Card deck section: allows enabling or disabling cards used by cards mode. The default deck contains the standard 52 cards; optional extra cards can be enabled if present. The section also provides quick controls for enabling all cards or disabling all cards. Cards mode requires at least 12 active cards.
5. Recent passwords section: it is the place where last passwords are stored (if previous switch is enabled). It allows copying the full recent-password list to the clipboard (COPY button) and removes all saved recent passwords (CLEAR button).

Security note: Recent passwords are stored only locally on device. They are persisted in an encrypted file (EncryptedFile, AES/GCM) with key material managed by Android Keystore. This is not a remote/cloud database. Clipboard contents may still be accessible to other apps on some Android versions. Clear the clipboard and disable list saving when necessary.

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