Looping in a spiral

Here's my solution (in Python):

def spiral(X, Y):
    x = y = 0
    dx = 0
    dy = -1
    for i in range(max(X, Y)**2):
        if (-X/2 < x <= X/2) and (-Y/2 < y <= Y/2):
            print (x, y)
            # DO STUFF...
        if x == y or (x < 0 and x == -y) or (x > 0 and x == 1-y):
            dx, dy = -dy, dx
        x, y = x+dx, y+dy

I love python's generators.

def spiral(N, M):
    x,y = 0,0   
    dx, dy = 0, -1

    for dumb in xrange(N*M):
        if abs(x) == abs(y) and [dx,dy] != [1,0] or x>0 and y == 1-x:  
            dx, dy = -dy, dx            # corner, change direction

        if abs(x)>N/2 or abs(y)>M/2:    # non-square
            dx, dy = -dy, dx            # change direction
            x, y = -y+dx, x+dy          # jump

        yield x, y
        x, y = x+dx, y+dy

Testing with:

print 'Spiral 3x3:'
for a,b in spiral(3,3):
    print (a,b),

print '\n\nSpiral 5x3:'
for a,b in spiral(5,3):
    print (a,b),

You get:

Spiral 3x3:
(0, 0) (1, 0) (1, 1) (0, 1) (-1, 1) (-1, 0) (-1, -1) (0, -1) (1, -1) 

Spiral 5x3:
(0, 0) (1, 0) (1, 1) (0, 1) (-1, 1) (-1, 0) (-1, -1) (0, -1) (1, -1) (2, -1) (2, 0) (2, 1) (-2, 1) (-2, 0) (-2, -1)

TDD, in Java.

SpiralTest.java:

import java.awt.Point;
import java.util.List;

import junit.framework.TestCase;

public class SpiralTest extends TestCase {

    public void test3x3() throws Exception {
        assertEquals("(0, 0) (1, 0) (1, 1) (0, 1) (-1, 1) (-1, 0) (-1, -1) (0, -1) (1, -1)", strung(new Spiral(3, 3).spiral()));
    }

    public void test5x3() throws Exception {
        assertEquals("(0, 0) (1, 0) (1, 1) (0, 1) (-1, 1) (-1, 0) (-1, -1) (0, -1) (1, -1) (2, -1) (2, 0) (2, 1) (-2, 1) (-2, 0) (-2, -1)",
                strung(new Spiral(5, 3).spiral()));
    }

    private String strung(List<Point> points) {
        StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
        for (Point point : points)
            sb.append(strung(point));
        return sb.toString().trim();
    }

    private String strung(Point point) {
        return String.format("(%s, %s) ", point.x, point.y);
    }

}

Spiral.java:

import java.awt.Point;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

public class Spiral {
    private enum Direction {
    E(1, 0) {Direction next() {return N;}},
    N(0, 1) {Direction next() {return W;}},
    W(-1, 0) {Direction next() {return S;}},
    S(0, -1) {Direction next() {return E;}},;

        private int dx;
        private int dy;

        Point advance(Point point) {
            return new Point(point.x + dx, point.y + dy);
        }

        abstract Direction next();

        Direction(int dx, int dy) {
            this.dx = dx;
            this.dy = dy;
        }
    };
    private final static Point ORIGIN = new Point(0, 0);
    private final int   width;
    private final int   height;
    private Point       point;
    private Direction   direction   = Direction.E;
    private List<Point> list = new ArrayList<Point>();

    public Spiral(int width, int height) {
        this.width = width;
        this.height = height;
    }

    public List<Point> spiral() {
        point = ORIGIN;
        int steps = 1;
        while (list.size() < width * height) {
            advance(steps);
            advance(steps);
            steps++;
        }
        return list;
    }

    private void advance(int n) {
        for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
            if (inBounds(point))
                list.add(point);
            point = direction.advance(point);
        }
        direction = direction.next();
    }

    private boolean inBounds(Point p) {
        return between(-width / 2, width / 2, p.x) && between(-height / 2, height / 2, p.y);
    }

    private static boolean between(int low, int high, int n) {
        return low <= n && n <= high;
    }
}

Here is my solution (In Ruby)

def spiral(xDim, yDim)
   sx = xDim / 2
   sy = yDim / 2

   cx = cy = 0
   direction = distance = 1

   yield(cx,cy)
   while(cx.abs <= sx || cy.abs <= sy)
      distance.times { cx += direction; yield(cx,cy) if(cx.abs <= sx && cy.abs <= sy); } 
      distance.times { cy += direction; yield(cx,cy) if(cx.abs <= sx && cy.abs <= sy); } 
      distance += 1
      direction *= -1
   end
end

spiral(5,3) { |x,y|
   print "(#{x},#{y}),"
}

Haskell, take your pick:

spiral x y = (0, 0) : concatMap ring [1 .. max x' y'] where
    ring n | n > x' = left x' n  ++ right x' (-n)
    ring n | n > y' = up   n  y' ++ down (-n) y'
    ring n          = up n n ++ left n n ++ down n n ++ right n n
    up    x y = [(x, n) | n <- [1-y .. y]]; down = (.) reverse . up
    right x y = [(n, y) | n <- [1-x .. x]]; left = (.) reverse . right
    (x', y') = (x `div` 2, y `div` 2)

spiral x y = filter (\(x',y') -> 2*abs x' <= x && 2*abs y' <= y) .
             scanl (\(a,b) (c,d) -> (a+c,b+d)) (0,0) $
             concat [ (:) (1,0) . tail 
                    $ concatMap (replicate n) [(0,1),(-1,0),(0,-1),(1,0)]
                    | n <- [2,4..max x y] ]

Your question looks like a question called spiral memory. In that problem, each square on the grid is allocated in a spiral pattern starting from the number 1 which locates at the origin. And then counting up while spiraling outwards. For example:

17  16  15  14  13

18   5   4   3  12

19   6   1   2  11

20   7   8   9  10

21  22  23  ---->

My solution for computing the coordinates of each number following this spiral pattern is posted below:

def spiral_pattern(num):
    x = y = 0
    for _ in range(num-1):
        x, y = find_next(x, y)
    yield (x, y)


def find_next(x, y):
    """find the coordinates of the next number"""
    if x == 0 and y == 0:
        return 1, 0

    if abs(x) == abs(y):
        if x > 0 and y > 0:
            x, y = left(x, y)
        elif x < 0 and y > 0:
            x, y = down(x, y)
        elif x < 0 and y < 0:
            x, y = right(x, y)
        elif x > 0 and y < 0:
            x, y = x+1, y
    else:
        if x > y and abs(x) > abs(y):
            x, y = up(x, y)
        elif x < y and abs(x) < abs(y):
            x, y = left(x, y)
        elif x < y and abs(x) > abs(y):
            x, y = down(x, y)
        elif x > y and abs(x) < abs(y):
            x, y = right(x, y)

    return x, y

def up(x, y):
    return x, y+1


def down(x, y):
    return x, y-1


def left(x, y):
    return x-1, y


def right(x, y):
    return x+1, y

Here's a JavaScript (ES6) iterative solution to this problem:

let spiralMatrix = (x, y, step, count) => {
    let distance = 0;
    let range = 1;
    let direction = 'up';

    for ( let i = 0; i < count; i++ ) {
        console.log('x: '+x+', y: '+y);
        distance++;
        switch ( direction ) {
            case 'up':
                y += step;
                if ( distance >= range ) {
                    direction = 'right';
                    distance = 0;
                }
                break;
            case 'right':
                x += step;
                if ( distance >= range ) {
                    direction = 'bottom';
                    distance = 0;
                    range += 1;
                }
                break;
            case 'bottom':
                y -= step;
                if ( distance >= range ) {
                    direction = 'left';
                    distance = 0;
                }
                break;
            case 'left':
                x -= step;
                if ( distance >= range ) {
                    direction = 'up';
                    distance = 0;
                    range += 1;
                }
                break;
            default:
                break;
        }
    }
}

Here's how to use it:

spiralMatrix(0, 0, 1, 100);

This will create an outward spiral, starting at coordinates (x = 0, y = 0) with step of 1 and a total number of items equals to 100. The implementation always starts the movement in the following order - up, right, bottom, left.

Please, note that this implementation creates square matrices.

Python looping clockwise spiral code using Can Berk Güder answer.

def spiral(X, Y):
    x = y = 0
    dx = 0
    dy = 1
    for i in range(max(X, Y)**2):
        if (-X/2 < x <= X/2) and (-Y/2 < y <= Y/2):
            print (x, y)
            # DO STUFF...
        if x == -y or (x < 0 and x == y) or (x > 0 and x-1 == y):
            dx, dy = dy, -dx
        x, y = x+dx, y+dy

Davidont's excellent solution in VB.Net

    Public Function Spiral(n As Integer) As RowCol
    ' given n an index in the squared spiral
    ' p the sum of point in inner square
    ' a the position on the current square
    ' n = p + a
    ' starts with row 0 col -1
    Dim r As Integer = CInt(Math.Floor((Math.Sqrt(n + 1) - 1) / 2) + 1)

    ' compute radius : inverse arithmetic sum of 8+16+24+...=
    Dim p As Integer = (8 * r * (r - 1)) \ 2
    ' compute total point on radius -1 : arithmetic sum of 8+16+24+...

    Dim en As Integer = r * 2
    ' points by face

    Dim a As Integer = (1 + n - p) Mod (r * 8)
    ' compute the position and shift it so the first is (-r,-r) but (-r+1,-r)
    ' so square can connect

    Dim row As Integer
    Dim col As Integer

    Select Case Math.Floor(a \ (r * 2))
        ' find the face : 0 top, 1 right, 2, bottom, 3 left
        Case 0
            row = a - r
            col = -r
        Case 1
            row = r
            col = (a Mod en) - r
        Case 2
            row = r - (a Mod en)
            col = r
        Case 3
            row = -r
            col = r - (a Mod en)
    End Select

    Return New RowCol(row, col)
End Function

This is my approach for a square spiral in c#, i made this some time ago, i just thought i could add it, since it's different from all the others, not the best, but just a different way, i am sure it can be adapted for a non-square too.

This approach i take the max number of steps in, instead of the max vector tho.

The main thing about this approach is the corners, there's some adjustments for the first step and the "progress" step needed to go out of the "corner" in the right bottom corner.

private void Spiral(int sequence)
{
    const int x = 0;
    const int y = 1;
    int[,] matrix = new int[2, sequence];
    int dirX, dirY, prevX, prevY, curr;
    dirX = dirY = prevX = prevY = curr = default(int);

    do
    {
        if (curr > 0)
        {
            prevX = matrix[x, curr - 1];
            prevY = matrix[y, curr - 1];
        }

        //Change direction based on the corner.
        if (Math.Abs(prevX) == Math.Abs(prevY) && curr > 0)
        {
            dirX = dirY = 0;

            if (prevY > 0 && prevX > 0)
                dirX = -1;
            else if (prevY > 0 && prevX < 0)
                dirY = -1;
            else if (prevY < 0 && prevX < 0)
                dirX = 1;
            else if (prevY < 0 && prevX > 0) //Move forward
                dirX = 1;
            else if (prevY == 0 && prevX == 0) //For the first step.
                dirX = 1;
        }
        else if (prevY < 0 && prevX > 0 && (Math.Abs(matrix[x, curr - 2]) == Math.Abs(matrix[y, curr - 2]))) //Move forward
        {
            dirX = 0;
            dirY = 1;
        }
        else if (prevX == 1 && prevY == 0) //For the second step.
        {
            dirY = 1;
            dirX = 0;
        }

        matrix[x, curr] = prevX + dirX;
        matrix[y, curr] = prevY + dirY;

        System.Console.Write($"({matrix[x, curr]},{matrix[y, curr]}) ");

    } while (++curr < sequence);
}

This is a Python/numpy solution which fills any rectangle with spiral. It solves slightly different problem than the original question but that is what I needed.

import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

def spiral(m, n):
    M = np.zeros([m, n], dtype=int)
    i, j = 0, 0 # location of "turtle"
    di, dj = 0, 1 # direction of movement
    h = (np.min([m,n]))/2
    for ii in range(m * n):
        M[i, j] = ii
        if (i < h and (i == j+1 or i+1 == n-j)) or (i >= m-h and (m-i == n-j or m-i == j+1)):
            di, dj = dj, -di # turn clockwise
        i, j = i + di, j + dj
    return M

plt.imshow(spiral(16, 24))

A Kotlin spiral.

data class Point(val x: Int, val y: Int) {
    operator fun plus(p: Point): Point = Point(x + p.x, y + p.y)

    override fun toString() = "($x, $y)"

    companion object {
        enum class Directions(val d: Point) {
            RIGHT(Point(1, 0)),
            UP(Point(0, 1)),
            LEFT(Point(-1, 0)),
            DOWN(Point(0, -1))
        }

        fun spiral() = sequence {
            var p = Point(0, 0)
            // Always start at the origin.
            yield(p)
            // 0, 2, 4, 6 ...
            generateSequence(0) { it + 2 }.forEach { n ->
                // For each of the 4 directions
                Directions.values().forEach { d ->
                    // actual length depends slightly on direction
                    val l = n + when (d) {
                        Directions.RIGHT, Directions.UP -> 1
                        Directions.LEFT, Directions.DOWN -> 2
                    }
                    // run to the next corner
                    for (i in 1..l) {
                        p += d.d
                        yield(p)
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}