Thun/docs/notebooks/Square_Spiral.md

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# Square Spiral Example Joy Code
Here is the example of Joy code from the `README` file:
[[[abs]ii <=][[<>][pop !-]||]&&][[!-][[++]][[--]]ifte dip][[pop !-][--][++]ifte]ifte
It might seem unreadable but with a little familiarity it becomes just as
legible as any other notation. Some layout helps:
[ [[abs] ii <=]
[
[<>] [pop !-] ||
] &&
]
[[ !-] [[++]] [[--]] ifte dip]
[[pop !-] [--] [++] ifte ]
ifte
This function accepts two integers on the stack and increments or
decrements one of them such that the new pair of numbers is the next
coordinate pair in a square spiral (like the kind used to construct an
Ulam Spiral).
## Original Form
It's adapted from [the original code on StackOverflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/398299/looping-in-a-spiral/31864777#31864777):
> If all you're trying to do is generate the first N points in the spiral
> (without the original problem's constraint of masking to an N x M
> region), the code becomes very simple:
void spiral(const int N)
{
int x = 0;
int y = 0;
for(int i = 0; i < N; ++i)
{
cout << x << '\t' << y << '\n';
if(abs(x) <= abs(y) && (x != y || x >= 0))
x += ((y >= 0) ? 1 : -1);
else
y += ((x >= 0) ? -1 : 1);
}
}
## Translation to Joy
I'm going to make a function that take two ints (`x` and `y`) and
generates the next pair, we'll turn it into a generator later using the
`x` combinator.
### First Boolean Predicate
We need a function that computes `abs(x) <= abs(y)`, we can use `ii` to
apply `abs` to both values and then compare them
with `<=`:
[abs] ii <=
```Joy
[_p [abs] ii <=] inscribe
```
```Joy
clear 23 -18
```
23 -18
```Joy
[_p] trace
```
23 -18 • _p
23 -18 • [abs] ii <=
23 -18 [abs] • ii <=
23 • abs -18 abs <=
23 • -18 abs <=
23 -18 • abs <=
23 18 • <=
false •
false
```Joy
clear
```
### Short-Circuiting Boolean Combinators
I've defined two short-circuiting Boolean combinators `&&` and `||` that
each accept two quoted predicate programs, run the first, and
conditionally run the second only if required (to compute the final
Boolean value). They run their predicate arguments `nullary`.
```Joy
[&& [nullary] cons [nullary [false]] dip branch] inscribe
[|| [nullary] cons [nullary] dip [true] branch] inscribe
```
```Joy
clear
[true] [false] &&
```
false
```Joy
clear
[false] [true] &&
```
false
```Joy
clear
[true] [false] ||
```
true
```Joy
clear
[false] [true] ||
```
true
```Joy
clear
```
### Translating the Conditionals
Given those, we can define `x != y || x >= 0` as:
_a == [!=] [pop 0 >=] ||
```Joy
[_a [!=] [pop 0 >=] ||] inscribe
```
And `(abs(x) <= abs(y) && (x != y || x >= 0))` as:
_b == [_p] [_a] &&
```Joy
[_b [_p] [_a] &&] inscribe
```
It's a little rough, but, as I say, with a little familiarity it becomes
legible.
```Joy
clear 23 -18
```
23 -18
```Joy
[_b] trace
```
23 -18 • _b
23 -18 • [_p] [_a] &&
23 -18 [_p] • [_a] &&
23 -18 [_p] [_a] • &&
23 -18 [_p] [_a] • [nullary] cons [nullary [false]] dip branch
23 -18 [_p] [_a] [nullary] • cons [nullary [false]] dip branch
23 -18 [_p] [[_a] nullary] • [nullary [false]] dip branch
23 -18 [_p] [[_a] nullary] [nullary [false]] • dip branch
23 -18 [_p] • nullary [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 [_p] • [stack] dinfrirst [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 [_p] [stack] • dinfrirst [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 [_p] [stack] • dip infrst [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 • stack [_p] infrst [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 [-18 23] • [_p] infrst [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 [-18 23] [_p] • infrst [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 [-18 23] [_p] • infra first [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 • _p [-18 23] swaack first [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 • [abs] ii <= [-18 23] swaack first [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 [abs] • ii <= [-18 23] swaack first [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 • abs -18 abs <= [-18 23] swaack first [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 • -18 abs <= [-18 23] swaack first [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 • abs <= [-18 23] swaack first [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 18 • <= [-18 23] swaack first [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
false • [-18 23] swaack first [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
false [-18 23] • swaack first [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 [false] • first [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 false • [false] [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 false [false] • [[_a] nullary] branch
23 -18 false [false] [[_a] nullary] • branch
23 -18 • false
23 -18 false •
23 -18 false
```Joy
clear
```
### The Increment / Decrement Branches
Turning to the branches of the main `if` statement:
x += ((y >= 0) ? 1 : -1);
Rewrite as a hybrid (pseudo-code) `ifte` expression:
[y >= 0] [x += 1] [X -= 1] ifte
Change each C phrase to Joy code:
[0 >=] [[++] dip] [[--] dip] ifte
Factor out the dip from each branch:
[0 >=] [[++]] [[--]] ifte dip
Similar logic applies to the other branch:
y += ((x >= 0) ? -1 : 1);
[x >= 0] [y -= 1] [y += 1] ifte
[pop 0 >=] [--] [++] ifte
## Putting the Pieces Together
We can assemble the three functions we just defined in quotes and give
them them to the `ifte` combinator. With some arrangement to show off
the symmetry of the two branches, we have:
[[[abs] ii <=] [[<>] [pop !-] ||] &&]
[[ !-] [[++]] [[--]] ifte dip]
[[pop !-] [--] [++] ifte ]
ifte
```Joy
[spiral_next
[_b]
[[ !-] [[++]] [[--]] ifte dip]
[[pop !-] [--] [++] ifte ]
ifte
] inscribe
```
As I was writing this up I realized that, since the `&&` combinator
doesn't consume the stack (below its quoted args), I can unquote the
predicate, swap the branches, and use the `branch` combinator instead of
`ifte`:
[[abs] ii <=] [[<>] [pop !-] ||] &&
[[pop !-] [--] [++] ifte ]
[[ !-] [[++]] [[--]] ifte dip]
branch
Let's try it out:
```Joy
clear 0 0
```
0 0
```Joy
spiral_next
```
1 0
```Joy
spiral_next
```
1 -1
```Joy
spiral_next
```
0 -1
```Joy
spiral_next
```
-1 -1
```Joy
spiral_next
```
-1 0
```Joy
spiral_next
```
-1 1
```Joy
spiral_next
```
0 1
```Joy
spiral_next
```
1 1
```Joy
spiral_next
```
2 1
```Joy
spiral_next
```
2 0
```Joy
spiral_next
```
2 -1
```Joy
spiral_next
```
2 -2
```Joy
spiral_next
```
1 -2
```Joy
spiral_next
```
0 -2
```Joy
spiral_next
```
-1 -2
## Turning it into a Generator with `x`
It can be used with the x combinator to make a kind of generator for
spiral square coordinates.
We can use `codireco` to make a generator
codireco == cons dip rest cons
It will look like this:
[value [F] codireco]
Here's a trace of how it works:
```Joy
clear
[0 [dup ++] codireco] [x] trace
```
[0 [dup ++] codireco] • x
[0 [dup ++] codireco] • 0 [dup ++] codireco
[0 [dup ++] codireco] 0 • [dup ++] codireco
[0 [dup ++] codireco] 0 [dup ++] • codireco
[0 [dup ++] codireco] 0 [dup ++] • codi reco
[0 [dup ++] codireco] 0 [dup ++] • cons dip reco
[0 [dup ++] codireco] [0 dup ++] • dip reco
• 0 dup ++ [0 [dup ++] codireco] reco
0 • dup ++ [0 [dup ++] codireco] reco
0 0 • ++ [0 [dup ++] codireco] reco
0 1 • [0 [dup ++] codireco] reco
0 1 [0 [dup ++] codireco] • reco
0 1 [0 [dup ++] codireco] • rest cons
0 1 [[dup ++] codireco] • cons
0 [1 [dup ++] codireco] •
0 [1 [dup ++] codireco]
```Joy
clear
```
But first we have to change the `spiral_next` function to work on a
quoted pair of integers, and leave a copy of the pair on the stack.
From:
y x spiral_next
---------------------
y' x'
to:
[x y] [spiral_next] infra
-------------------------------
[x' y']
```Joy
[0 0] [spiral_next] infra
```
[0 1]
So our generator is:
[[x y] [dup [spiral_next] infra] codireco]
Or rather:
[[0 0] [dup [spiral_next] infra] codireco]
There is a function `make_generator` that will build the generator for us
out of the value and stepper function:
[0 0] [dup [spiral_next] infra] make_generator
----------------------------------------------------
[[0 0] [dup [spiral_next] infra] codireco]
```Joy
clear
```
Here it is in action:
```Joy
[0 0] [dup [spiral_next] infra] make_generator x x x x pop
```
[0 0] [0 1] [-1 1] [-1 0]
Four `x` combinators, four pairs of coordinates.
Or you can leave out `dup` and let the value stay in the generator until you want it:
```Joy
clear
[0 0] [[spiral_next] infra] make_generator 50 [x] times first
```
[2 4]
## Conclusion
So that's an example of Joy code. It's a straightforward translation of
the original. It's a little long for a single definition, you might
break it up like so:
_spn_Pa == [abs] ii <=
_spn_Pb == [!=] [pop 0 >=] ||
_spn_P == [_spn_Pa] [_spn_Pb] &&
_spn_T == [ !-] [[++]] [[--]] ifte dip
_spn_E == [pop !-] [--] [++] ifte
spiral_next == _spn_P [_spn_E] [_spn_T] branch
This way it's easy to see that the function is a branch with two
quasi-symmetrical paths.
We then used this function to make a simple generator of coordinate
pairs, where the next pair in the series can be generated at any time by
using the `x` combinator on the generator (which is just a quoted
expression containing a copy of the current pair and the "stepper
function" to generate the next pair from that.)