> Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2012 10:34:26 -0500
> From: python.l...@tim.thechases.com
> To: r...@panix.com
> Subject: Re: How to generate account number?
> CC: python-l...@python.org

> On 11/03/12 08:22, Roy Smith wrote:
> > Even better might be base-32 encoding the value. Strings of
> > digits have an information density of about 3.2 bits/char.
> > Base-32 is just about as readable, but gives you 5 bits/char, so
> > you end up with a few less characters (which you still want to
> > chunk into 3 or 4 character groups).

> For things that will be read off a screen/paper, I recommend
> omitting several letters that are easy to mistake visually: i/I/l/1
> and O/0 in particular. The VIN (vehicle identification number) on
> all US cars avoids these characters[*], making it easier to read
> them back without concern for "is that a zero or an oh; and is that
> an ell, a one, a lowercase eye, or a capital eye?" As an encoding
> advantage,

> >>> print len(''.join(c for c in (string.ascii_uppercase +
> string.digits) if c not in "O0iIl1"))
> 32

> the number 32 is pretty handy when dealing with binary :-)

> -tkc

> [*]
> The VIN avoids "Q" too and does use the digits 0/1, but the idea
> holds. Make it easy to ready back.
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