gistfile1.r

# Are any of the 4 direct N E W S adjacent cells occupied?
isAnyOfNEWSCellsOccupied <- function(m,n) {
  canOccupy <- FALSE
  NEWSdir = c(2,4,5,7)
  #traverse the vector of 4 elements
  for(k in 1:4) {
    xCheck = m + adjacells[NEWSdir[k],1]
    yCheck = n + adjacells[NEWSdir[k],2]
    if(!(outOfBounds(xCheck, yCheck))) {      
      if(area_df[xCheck, yCheck] > 0) {
        print(paste("area df of ", xCheck, yCheck, area_df[xCheck, yCheck]))
        print(paste("(",m,",",n,")" ,"NEWS neighbor of (", yCheck, "-", xCheck))
        canOccupy <- TRUE
      }
    }    
  } #end of looping through k
  
  return(canOccupy)
}