#! /usr/bin/env python3

#conways game of life
import time, random, copy

width = 100
hight = 50
nextCells = []
currentCells = []

def createInitalBoard(): #create inital board
    for x in range(width):
        column = [] #add a column
        for y in range(hight):
            if random.randint(0, 1) == 0:
                column.append('#') #add a living cell
            else:
                column.append(' ') #add a dead cell
        nextCells.append(column) #append the newly created random column
def printBoard():
    for y in range(hight):
        for x in range(width):
            print(nextCells[x][y], end='')
        print()#print a newline at the end of the row.
    print('\n\n\n\n\n') #seperate each step with newlines

def updateBoard():
    currentCells = copy.deepcopy(nextCells) #create a buffer of the grid to work on.
    for x in range(width):
        for y in range(hight):
            #get neighboring cordinates
            #% width makes the board wrap.
            leftCoord = (x-1)%width
            rightCoord = (x+1)%width
            aboveCoord = (y-1)%hight
            belowCoord = (y+1)%hight

            numNeighbors = 0
            #count the number of living neighbors
            if currentCells[leftCoord][aboveCoord] == '#':
                numNeighbors +=1 #top left
            if currentCells[x][aboveCoord] == '#':
                numNeighbors +=1 #top
            if currentCells[rightCoord][aboveCoord] == '#':
                numNeighbors +=1 #top right
            if currentCells[leftCoord][y] == '#':
                numNeighbors +=1 #left
            if currentCells[rightCoord][y] == '#':
                numNeighbors +=1 #right
            if currentCells[leftCoord][belowCoord] == '#':
                numNeighbors +=1 #bottom left
            if currentCells[x][belowCoord] == '#':
                numNeighbors +=1 #bottom
            if currentCells[rightCoord][belowCoord] == '#':
                numNeighbors +=1 #bottom right

            #set cell state based on conways rules
            if currentCells[x][y] == '#' and (numNeighbors == 2 or numNeighbors == 3):
                nextCells[x][y] = '#'
            elif currentCells[x][y] == ' ' and numNeighbors == 3:
                nextCells[x][y] = '#'
            else:
                nextCells[x][y] = ' '

createInitalBoard()

while True: #main loop
    printBoard()
    updateBoard()
    time.sleep(.1)