public ArrayList<String> placeDotCom(int comSize){
		ArrayList<String> alphaCells = new ArrayList<String>();		// holds 'f6' type coords
		String temp = null; 										// temporary String for concat
		int [] coords = new int[comSize]; 							// current candidate coords
		int attempts = 0; 											// current attempts counter
		boolean success = false;									// flag = found a good location?
		int location = 0;											// current starting location
		
		comCount++;													// nth dot com to place
		int incr = 1;												// set horizontal increment
		if ((comCount % 2) ==1) {									// set vertical increment
			incr = gridLength;
		}
		
		while (!success & attempts++ < 200 ) {						// main search loop (32)
			location = (int) (Math.random() * gridSize);			// get random starting point
			System.out.print(" try " + location);
			int x = 0;												// nth position in dot com to place
			success = true;											// assume success
			while (success && x < comSize){							// look for adjacent unused spots
				if (grid[location] == 0) {							// if not already used
					coords[x++] = location;							// save location
					location += incr;								// try 'next' adjacent
					if (location >= gridSize) {						// out of bounds - 'bottom edge'
						success = false;							// failure
					}
					if (x>0 && (location % gridLength == 0)) {		// out of bounds - 'right edge'
						success = false;							// failure
					}
				} else {											// found already used location
					System.out.println(" used " + location);		// failure
					success = false;
				}
			}
		}															// end while
		
		int x = 0;													// turn location in alpha coords
		int row = 0;
		int column = 0;
		System.out.println("\n");
		while (x < comSize) {
			grid[coords[x]] = 1;									// mark master grid pts. as 'used'
			row = (int) (coords[x] / gridLength);					// get row value
			column = coords[x] % gridLength;						// get numeric column value
			temp = String.valueOf(alphabet.charAt(column));			// convert to alpha
			
			alphaCells.add(temp.concat(Integer.toString(row)));
			x++;
			System.out.print(" coord "+x+" = " + alphaCells.get(x-1));
		}
		
		System.out.println("\n");
		return alphaCells;
	}