[R] easier way to do this without a loop? (successive euclidean distances between points)

[stephen sefick]

a <- c(1:10)
b <- c(.5, .6, .9, 10, .4, 3, 4, 9, 0, 11)
d <- c(21:30)

z <- data.frame(a,b,d)
library(fields)
results <- c()
for(i in 1:(length(rownames(z))-1)){
  results[i] <- rdist(z[i,], z[(i+1),])
 }

results.1 <- data.frame(results)	
  f <- rownames(z)
  r <- f[-1]
  rownames(results.1) <- r
  colnames(results.1) <- f[1]

this does what I want it to do - is there an easier/generic way of
doing this.  I will be using this to calculate euclidean distances
between successive time steps on ordination scores.
thanks

-- 
Stephen Sefick
Research Scientist
Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy

Let's not spend our time and resources thinking about things that are
so little or so large that all they really do for us is puff us up and
make us feel like gods.  We are mammals, and have not exhausted the
annoying little problems of being mammals.

								-K. Mullis