# scream

A console application that implements the **Scream Cipher** from [XKCD #3054](https://xkcd.com/3054/).

![Scream Cipher](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/scream_cipher.png "Scream Cipher")

The Scream Cipher encodes text by replacing each character with an 'A' modified by diacritic marks. This ensures all messages appear as a string of 'A's while still carrying the original meaning.

## Features

✔ **Encode** text into the Scream Cipher.  
✔ **Decode** Scream Cipher text back into ASCII.  
✔ **Cross-platform compatibility** when compiled for the target system.  
✔ **UTF-8 support** for proper diacritic display.  

## Installation

### Prerequisites
- [.NET SDK](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download) (for building from source)

### Build & Run

Clone the repository and navigate to its directory:

```sh
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/scream.git
cd scream
```

Compile and run:

```sh
dotnet build
dotnet run -- "Hello, world!"
```

Or run directly:

```sh
dotnet run -- "This is a test message."
```

## Usage

### Encoding (Screaming a Message)
To encode a message using the Scream Cipher:

```sh
dotnet run -- "Hello, world!"
```

Example output:
```
ÁÃÃÃÁ ÃÁÃÄÃÃÁ!
```

### Decoding (Quieting a Message)
To decode a Scream Cipher message back to readable text:

```sh
dotnet run -- -q "ÁÃÃÃÁ ÃÁÃÄÃ"
```

Example output:
```
Hello!
```

## License

This project is licensed under the **GPL 3.0**. See [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.

## Acknowledgments

Inspired by [XKCD #3054](https://xkcd.com/3054/).  
Built for fun and screaming efficiency! 🗣️🔠🔥