Find words adjacent to a word given by its index in a string

# Created December 1, 2010
# Released into the public domain by Josh Atkins
#
# find_adjacent_words('This is a test', 5, 1, true)  #=> This
# find_adjacent_words('This is a test', 5, 2, false) #=> a test
# find_adjacent_words('This is a test', 5, 2, 3)     #=> ['This', 'a test']
 
def find_adjacent_words(text, position, word_count, left_of_position)
	if left_of_position == 3
		adjacent_words = Array.new
		adjacent_words.insert(-1, find_adjacent_words(text, position, word_count, true))
		adjacent_words.insert(-1, find_adjacent_words(text, position, word_count, false))
		return adjacent_words
	else
		if position == nil || !position.kind_of?(Integer) || position > text.length
			position = left_of_position ? text.length : 0
		else
			while text[position] != 32 && position >= 0 && position <= text.length
				position += left_of_position ? -1 : 1
			end
		end
		original_position  = position
		text               = text.strip
		current_word_count = left_of_position ? 0 : word_count || nil
		while (left_of_position && position > 1 && (!word_count || current_word_count < word_count)) || (!left_of_position && position < text.length && (!current_word_count || current_word_count > 0))
			position += left_of_position ? -1 : 1
			if (left_of_position && !(position > 1 && text[position] == 32 && text[position-1] == 32)) || (!left_of_position && !(position < text.length && text[position] == 32 && text[position+1] == 32))
				current_word_count += left_of_position ? 1 : -1 if text[position+(left_of_position ? -1 : 1)] == 32 if current_word_count
			end
		end
		return (left_of_position ? text[(position > 0 ? position - 1 : position)..original_position] : text[original_position..position]).to_s.strip
	end
end