PasswordPress
You know it is important to have a good password for a variety of things (software, cell phone, bank card, etc.). However, most of the time, if you use something that is really easy for you to remember, it is something that is very easy for someone else to figure out. On top of that, your password is something that should be change periodically (just in case). How are you going to create a password that isn't too easy for someone else to figure out? That's where PasswordPress comes in.
PasswordPress helps you determine what your next password should be. However, PasswordPress only makes new passwords for you. It doesn't store passwords anyplace; it doesn't remember what password it gave you last. Nothing too fancy (plus, most operating systems have better means of storing passwords such as Mac OS X and its Keychain).
Can I use this offline?
You can download the PasswordPress application right here (PasswordPress.zip - 151k). This file is in .zip format which allows you to use a utility such as Stuffit Expander (if you need a decompression utility, check them out at download.com). The file includes the necessary jar files (the actual Java programs), java documentation, source code, and developer notes.
You can now run PasswordPress through java web start - simply click PasswordPress.jnlp and enjoy.
What do I need to run this?
You will need to a Java runtime environment capable of running Java swing applications. If you need to download a Java run time for your system, check out http://www.java.com for details (note: This application was developed using the Java j2sdk1.4.2. While I tried to include everything needed to run this application, you may experience problems with an older version of Java).
How do I use this?
The program is stored as an executable jar file (once you unzip the application, you should be able to double click on PasswordPress.jar and it should start just like any other program). If you have trouble starting it this way, you can always go to the command line and type java -jar PasswordPress.jar (as long as you are in the directory where PasswordPress.jar is located).
Understanding the Options
There are a few options in the PasswordPress program: Type, Options, and Size.
Type allows you to choose why type of password you are looking for. Alphabetic for a character letter only password. Numeric for a number only password. Alphanumeric for a mix between numeric and alphabetic.
Options allow you to further limit or expand the generated password options. Mix Case (for Alphabetic and Alphanumeric Types only) adds a mix of letter case to the password. Checking Allow Duplicates will allow characters/numbers to be repeated in the password. Non-Standard Characters adds punctuation and other non-alphabetic characters to the mix (limited to 1/4th the length of the password).
Size allows you to pick what size password you want from a default drop list: 4, 8, 16, or 32 characters. If you require a different password size, you can still use PasswordPress by incorporating it into your own program. See the dev directory for details.
Generating a Password
Once you have selected your options, you can click on the Generate Password button. The system will randomly build your password and put it in the Factory Built Password section of the application window. This is a text box which will let you copy and paste the password to another place.
For Java Developers
As the majority of the GUI interface is handled by JGoodies Forms, the PasswordPress jar file is only 8kb, making it ideal to add to your projects where you might need to have a randomly generated key or password (any length up to an int). See the directions and coding examples in the dev directory (you can check out the source code for the program as well).
