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Challenge

Given a string of any length, write it as a triangle, spiraling out from the center. For example, abcdefghijklmnop becomes:

   g  
  fah
 edcbi
ponmlkj

Or more explicitly:

If you like, you can spiral counter-clockwise instead:

   g  
  haf
 ibcde
jklmnop

Or add spaces uniformly:

      g   

    f a h 

  e d c b i  

p o n m l k j 

The input characters will be ascii, but may include spaces. Also, the number of characters may not be a triangular number (Hello World!):

  W
  Ho
oller
   !dl

A couple more edge cases. 2 letter input ab:

 a
  b

And 3 letter input abc:

 a
 cb

Procedural Description

In case the above examples aren't clear, here's a procedural description of the process:

1. Put down your initial letter.
2. Move diagonally down and to the right (i.e., this direction \). So if you started at (0,0), you will now be at (1,-1). Put down your second letter.
3. Move left one space a time, dropping a letter on each space, for a total of 3 spaces. That is, drop letters on (0,-1), (-1,-1), and (-2, -1).
4. Next move diagonally up and to the right / two spaces, dropping letters on (-1,0) and (0,1).
5. Now cycle back to moving diagonally down and to the right, continuing to step and drop letters as long as your current position is left-right adjacent to an existing letter.
6. Next move left again, continuing to step and drop letters as long as you are diagonally adjacent / to an existing letter.
7. Move diagonally up and to the right again /, stepping and dropping letters as long as your current position is left-right adjacent to an existing letter.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 until all letters are used up.

More examples

Rules

• Code golf, standard rules apply.
• Trailing spaces or newlines are ok.
• Consistent leading spaces or newlines are also ok, as long as the shape of the triangle is preserved.

Challenge

Given a string of any length, write it as a triangle, spiraling out from the center. For example, abcdefghijklmnop becomes:

   g  
  fah
 edcbi
ponmlkj

Or more explicitly:

If you like, you can spiral counter-clockwise instead:

   g  
  haf
 ibcde
jklmnop

Or add spaces uniformly:

      g   

    f a h 

  e d c b i  

p o n m l k j 

The input characters will be ascii, but may include spaces. Also, the number of characters may not be a perfect square (Hello World!):

  W
  Ho
oller
   !dl

A couple more edge cases. 2 letter input ab:

 a
  b

And 3 letter input abc:

 a
 cb

Procedural Description

In case the above examples aren't clear, here's a procedural description of the process:

1. Put down your initial letter.
2. Move diagonally down and to the right (i.e., this direction \). So if you started at (0,0), you will now be at (1,-1). Put down your second letter.
3. Move left one space a time, dropping a letter on each space, for a total of 3 spaces. That is, drop letters on (0,-1), (-1,-1), and (-2, -1).
4. Next move diagonally up and to the right / two spaces, dropping letters on (-1,0) and (0,1).
5. Now cycle back to moving diagonally down and to the right, continuing to step and drop letters as long as your current position is left-right adjacent to an existing letter.
6. Next move left again, continuing to step and drop letters as long as you are diagonally adjacent / to an existing letter.
7. Move diagonally up and to the right again /, stepping and dropping letters as long as your current position is left-right adjacent to an existing letter.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 until all letters are used up.

More examples

Rules

• Code golf, standard rules apply.
• Trailing spaces or newlines are ok.
• Consistent leading spaces or newlines are also ok, as long as the shape of the triangle is preserved.

Challenge

Given a string of any length, write it as a triangle, spiraling out from the center. For example, abcdefghijklmnop becomes:

   g  
  fah
 edcbi
ponmlkj

Or more explicitly:

If you like, you can spiral counter-clockwise instead:

   g  
  haf
 ibcde
jklmnop

Or add spaces uniformly:

      g   

    f a h 

  e d c b i  

p o n m l k j 

The input characters will be ascii, but may include spaces. Also, the number of characters may not be a triangular number (Hello World!):

  W
  Ho
oller
   !dl

A couple more edge cases. 2 letter input ab:

 a
  b

And 3 letter input abc:

 a
 cb

Procedural Description

In case the above examples aren't clear, here's a procedural description of the process:

1. Put down your initial letter.
2. Move diagonally down and to the right (i.e., this direction \). So if you started at (0,0), you will now be at (1,-1). Put down your second letter.
3. Move left one space a time, dropping a letter on each space, for a total of 3 spaces. That is, drop letters on (0,-1), (-1,-1), and (-2, -1).
4. Next move diagonally up and to the right / two spaces, dropping letters on (-1,0) and (0,1).
5. Now cycle back to moving diagonally down and to the right, continuing to step and drop letters as long as your current position is left-right adjacent to an existing letter.
6. Next move left again, continuing to step and drop letters as long as you are diagonally adjacent / to an existing letter.
7. Move diagonally up and to the right again /, stepping and dropping letters as long as your current position is left-right adjacent to an existing letter.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 until all letters are used up.

More examples

Rules

• Code golf, standard rules apply.
• Trailing spaces or newlines are ok.

Challenge

Given a string of any length, write it as a triangle, spiraling out from the center. For example, abcdefghijklmnop becomes:

   g  
  fah
 edcbi
ponmlkj

Or more explicitly:

If you like, you can spiral counter-clockwise instead:

   g  
  haf
 ibcde
jklmnop

Or add spaces uniformly:

      g   

    f a h 

  e d c b i  

p o n m l k j 

The input characters will be ascii, but may include spaces. Also, the number of characters may not be a triangular number (Hello World!):

  W
  Ho
oller
   !dl

A couple more edge cases. 2 letter input ab:

 a
  b

And 3 letter input abc:

 a
 cb

Procedural Description

In case the above examples aren't clear, here's a procedural description of the process:

1. Put down your initial letter.
2. Move diagonally down and to the right (i.e., this direction \). So if you started at (0,0), you will now be at (1,-1). Put down your second letter.
3. Move left one space a time, dropping a letter on each space, for a total of 3 spaces. That is, drop letters on (0,-1), (-1,-1), and (-2, -1).
4. Next move diagonally up and to the right / two spaces, dropping letters on (-1,0) and (0,1).
5. Now cycle back to moving diagonally down and to the right, continuing to step and drop letters as long as your current position is left-right adjacent to an existing letter.
6. Next move left again, continuing to step and drop letters as long as you are diagonally adjacent / to an existing letter.
7. Move diagonally up and to the right again /, stepping and dropping letters as long as your current position is left-right adjacent to an existing letter.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 until all letters are used up.

More examples

Rules

• Code golf, standard rules apply.
• Trailing spaces or newlines are ok.
• Consistent leading spaces or newlines are also ok, as long as the shape of the triangle is preserved.

Challenge

Given a string of any length, write it as a triangle, spiraling out from the center. For example, abcdefghijklmnop becomes:

   g  
  fah
 edcbi
ponmlkj

Or more explicitly:

If you like, you can spiral counter-clockwise instead:

   g  
  haf
 ibcde
jklmnop

Or add spaces uniformly:

      g   

    f a h 

  e d c b i  

p o n m l k j 

The input characters will be ascii, but may include spaces. Also, the number of characters may not be a triangular number (Hello World!):

  W
  Ho
oller
   !dl

A couple more edge cases. 2 letter input ab:

 a
  b

And 3 letter input abc:

 a
 cb

Rules

• Code golf, standard rules apply.
• Trailing spaces or newlines are ok.

Challenge

Given a string of any length, write it as a triangle, spiraling out from the center. For example, abcdefghijklmnop becomes:

   g  
  fah
 edcbi
ponmlkj

Or more explicitly:

If you like, you can spiral counter-clockwise instead:

   g  
  haf
 ibcde
jklmnop

Or add spaces uniformly:

      g   

    f a h 

  e d c b i  

p o n m l k j 

The input characters will be ascii, but may include spaces. Also, the number of characters may not be a triangular number (Hello World!):

  W
  Ho
oller
   !dl

A couple more edge cases. 2 letter input ab:

 a
  b

And 3 letter input abc:

 a
 cb

Procedural Description

In case the above examples aren't clear, here's a procedural description of the process:

1. Put down your initial letter.
2. Move diagonally down and to the right (i.e., this direction \). So if you started at (0,0), you will now be at (1,-1). Put down your second letter.
3. Move left one space a time, dropping a letter on each space, for a total of 3 spaces. That is, drop letters on (0,-1), (-1,-1), and (-2, -1).
4. Next move diagonally up and to the right / two spaces, dropping letters on (-1,0) and (0,1).
5. Now cycle back to moving diagonally down and to the right, continuing to step and drop letters as long as your current position is left-right adjacent to an existing letter.
6. Next move left again, continuing to step and drop letters as long as you are diagonally adjacent / to an existing letter.
7. Move diagonally up and to the right again /, stepping and dropping letters as long as your current position is left-right adjacent to an existing letter.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 until all letters are used up.

More examples

Rules

• Code golf, standard rules apply.
• Trailing spaces or newlines are ok.