Reverse engineering scratchie tickets

# This is incredibly hackish, and was my first experiment with python.
# It's once off throwaway code, ugly as hell, unoptimised, but it works!
#
# Run the script with two arguments:
#     the input file with the scratchie ticket info
#     the number of words you wish to find on said cards (N)
# The script will then try try to find a combination of the hidden letters
# that will result N words being found.
#
# See https://danielkinsman.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/reverse-engineering-scratchie-tickets/
#
# Example card input file:
# fzdviwrloychtsbkmxnu area fiasco fist dab unfeeling estuary onset eyeball hustle eke arid cede buttress all forbear yolk awful aside song oat tone
# slmdhibjxaquzocfwpgk sky foible prelude panda linseed fortnight elk angora refuse adze soap air down young two opal imitate era brunette eddy knee
# rvpfguhzybmlcwdknios wily eschew edge yes operation whisker altar peasant rhythm tee whey swap solitary yew enlarge rate crest stunt grow woe rose
# fadpyoqlvjmbitwsugcx sun instil license mitre freesia platitude nay pagoda equate fond slim pie plea nifty two clef retrace off tungsten exam yard
# ixpwrvlmabhdnfjgckuo keel peanut tide tip albatross granule close eyelash mutiny day knit ogre parakeet lap pinball echo after nomad dash tie easy
# thukdxspfabemvywgqco apt crease lexicon suite freesia portfolio men recede pacify give axis rap role timid toe clef rookery egg accustom neat nice

import sys
import string

def getUniqueLetters(stringy):
    found = ''
    for khr in stringy:
        if found.find(khr) < 0:
            found += khr

    return found

def countBinary1s(num):
    count = 0
    while num > 0:
        if num % 2 == 1:
            count += 1

        num /= 2

    return count

def constructPossibilityUsingBitmask(mask, alphabet):
    result = ''
    index = 0

    while mask > 0:
        if mask % 2 == 1:
            result += alphabet[index]

        mask /= 2
        index += 1

    return result

def stringnuke(stringy, victims):
    return stringy.translate(string.maketrans('',''), victims)

class ScratchieCard(object):
    letterCount = 20
    letters = None
    words = None

    #Format of "entry" parameter: letters(20 char string, no space) word word word...
    def __init__(self, entry = None):
        if(entry == None):
            return

        entries = entry.split()
        self.letters = entries[0]

        self.words = list()
        for i in range(1, 22):
            self.words.append(entries[i])

    def wordsFound(self, lLetters = None):
        if(lLetters == None):
            lLetters = self.letters

        if len(lLetters) != 20:
            raise ValueError('there must be exactly 20 scratchie letters')

        found = 0
        for word in self.words:
            if len(stringnuke(word, lLetters)) == 0:
                found += 1

        return found

    def generateMatchingLetters(self, numMatch, wordcat):
        matches = list()
        musthaves = getUniqueLetters(wordcat)
        leftovers = stringnuke('abcdefhijklmnopqrstuvwxyz', musthaves)
        #print 'must ', musthaves, 'left ', leftovers
        comboCount = 0

        for i in range(1, pow(2, len(leftovers))):
            if countBinary1s(i) == 20 - len(musthaves):
                comboCount += 1
                pobby = musthaves + constructPossibilityUsingBitmask(i, leftovers)
                if self.wordsFound(pobby) == numMatch:
                    #print pobby + ' is a match.'
                    matches.append(pobby)

        #print str(comboCount) + ' possible letter combinations found for wordcat (' + wordcat + ').'
        #print str(len(matches)) + ' ' + str(numMatch) + ' word matches found amongst these.'
        #sys.stdout.flush()
        return matches

    def generateNMatchLetterList(self, numMatch):
        matchingCombinations = list()

        #this is extremely ugly, but it works and i'm too lazy to do it better
        if numMatch == 1:
            for i in range(0, 20):
                matchingLetters = self.generateMatchingLetters(numMatch, self.words[i])
                for letts in matchingLetters:
                    matchingCombinations.append(letts)
        if numMatch == 2:
            for i in range(0, 20):
                for j in range(i+1, 20):
                    matchingLetters = self.generateMatchingLetters(numMatch, self.words[i] + self.words[j])
                    for letts in matchingLetters:
                        matchingCombinations.append(letts)
        elif numMatch == 3:
            for i in range(0, 20):
                for j in range(i+1, 20):
                    for k in range(j+1, 20):
                        matchingLetters = self.generateMatchingLetters(numMatch, self.words[i] + self.words[j] + self.words[k])
                        for letts in matchingLetters:
                            matchingCombinations.append(letts)
        elif numMatch == 4:
            for i in range(0, 20):
                for j in range(i+1, 20):
                    for k in range(j+1, 20):
                        for l in range(k+1, 20):
                            matchingLetters = self.generateMatchingLetters(numMatch, self.words[i] + self.words[j] + self.words[k] + self.words[l])
                            for letts in matchingLetters:
                                matchingCombinations.append(letts)
        elif numMatch == 5:
            for i in range(0, 20):
                for j in range(i+1, 20):
                    for k in range(j+1, 20):
                        for l in range(k+1, 20):
                            for m in range(l+1, 20):
                                matchingLetters = self.generateMatchingLetters(numMatch, self.words[i] + self.words[j] + self.words[k] + self.words[l] + self.words[m])
                                for letts in matchingLetters:
                                    matchingCombinations.append(letts)
        elif numMatch == 6:
            for i in range(0, 20):
                for j in range(i+1, 20):
                    for k in range(j+1, 20):
                        for l in range(k+1, 20):
                            for m in range(l+1, 20):
                                for n in range(m+1, 20):
                                    matchingLetters = self.generateMatchingLetters(numMatch, self.words[i] + self.words[j] + self.words[k] + self.words[l] + self.words[m] + self.words[n])
                                    for letts in matchingLetters:
                                        matchingCombinations.append(letts)
        elif numMatch == 7:
            for i in range(0, 20):
                for j in range(i+1, 20):
                    for k in range(j+1, 20):
                        for l in range(k+1, 20):
                            for m in range(l+1, 20):
                                for n in range(m+1, 20):
                                    for o in range(n+1, 20):
                                        matchingLetters = self.generateMatchingLetters(numMatch, self.words[i] + self.words[j] + self.words[k] + self.words[l] + self.words[m] + self.words[n] + self.words[o])
                                        for letts in matchingLetters:
                                            matchingCombinations.append(letts)
        elif numMatch == 8:
            for i in range(0, 20):
                for j in range(i+1, 20):
                    for k in range(j+1, 20):
                        for l in range(k+1, 20):
                            for m in range(l+1, 20):
                                for n in range(m+1, 20):
                                    for o in range(n+1, 20):
                                        for p in range(o+1, 20):
                                            matchingLetters = self.generateMatchingLetters(numMatch, self.words[i] + self.words[j] + self.words[k] + self.words[l] + self.words[m] + self.words[n] + self.words[o] + self.words[p])
                                            for letts in matchingLetters:
                                                matchingCombinations.append(letts)
        elif numMatch == 9:
            for i in range(0, 20):
                for j in range(i+1, 20):
                    for k in range(j+1, 20):
                        for l in range(k+1, 20):
                            for m in range(l+1, 20):
                                for n in range(m+1, 20):
                                    for o in range(n+1, 20):
                                        for p in range(o+1, 20):
                                            for q in range(p+1, 20):
                                                matchingLetters = self.generateMatchingLetters(numMatch, self.words[i] + self.words[j] + self.words[k] + self.words[l] + self.words[m] + self.words[n] + self.words[o] + self.words[p] + self.words[q])
                                                for letts in matchingLetters:
                                                    matchingCombinations.append(letts)
        elif numMatch == 10:
            for i in range(0, 20):
                for j in range(i+1, 20):
                    for k in range(j+1, 20):
                        for l in range(k+1, 20):
                            for m in range(l+1, 20):
                                for n in range(m+1, 20):
                                    for o in range(n+1, 20):
                                        for p in range(o+1, 20):
                                            for q in range(p+1, 20):
                                                for r in range(q+1, 20):
                                                    matchingLetters = self.generateMatchingLetters(numMatch, self.words[i] + self.words[j] + self.words[k] + self.words[l] + self.words[m] + self.words[n] + self.words[o] + self.words[p] + self.words[q] + self.words[r])
                                                    for letts in matchingLetters:
                                                        matchingCombinations.append(letts)

        return matchingCombinations

# Main method, first arg input file, second number of words to find
if __name__ == '__main__':
    fInput = open(sys.argv[1], 'r')

    wordsToFind = int(sys.argv[2])

    for line in fInput:
        print line
        card = ScratchieCard(line)
        print str(card.wordsFound()) + ' words found on card.'
        sys.stdout.flush()
        print str(len(card.generateNMatchLetterList(wordsToFind))) + ' ' + str(wordsToFind) + ' word letter combinations found for this card.'
        sys.stdout.flush()