x:+1,  y:+1 => NE
x:0,   y:+3 => N
x:+10, y:-2 => E   // closest compass direction

// enumerated counterclockwise, starting from east = 0:
enum compassDir {
    E = 0, NE = 1,
    N = 2, NW = 3,
    W = 4, SW = 5,
    S = 6, SE = 7
};

// for string conversion, if you can't just do e.g. dir.toString():
const string[8] headings = { "E", "NE", "N", "NW", "W", "SW", "S", "SE" };

// actual conversion code:
float angle = atan2( vector.y, vector.x );
int octant = round( 8 * angle / (2*PI) + 8 ) % 8;

compassDir dir = (compassDir) octant;  // typecast to enum: 0 -> E etc.
string dirStr = headings[octant];

int octant = int( 8 * angle / (2*PI) + 8.5 ) % 8;  // int() rounds down

//start direction from the lowest value, in this case it's west with -π
enum direction {
west,
south,
east,
north
}

increment = (2PI)/direction.count
angle = atan2(y,x);
testangle = -PI + increment/2
index = 0

while angle > testangle
    index++
    if(index > direction.count - 1)
        return direction[0] //roll over
    testangle += increment


return direction[index]

map<float2,Direction> candidates;
candidates[float2(1,0)] = E; candidates[float2(0,1)] = N; // etc.

for each (float2 dir in candidates)
{
    float goodness = dot(dir, v);
    if (goodness > bestResult)
    {
        bestResult = goodness;
        bestDir = candidates[dir];
    }
}

NW (-1 + i)       N (i)        NE (1 + i)
W  (-1)          Origin        E  (1)
SW (-1 - i)      S (-i)        SE (1 - i)

// Some pseudocode

enum xDir { West = -1, Center = 0, East = 1 }
enum yDir { South = -1, Center = 0, North = 1 }

xDir GetXdirection(Vector2 heading)
{
    return round(heading.x / Max(heading.x, heading.y));
}

yDir GetYdirection(Vector2 heading)
{
    return round(heading.y / Max(heading.x, heading.y));
}

-(1+sign(abs(sign(x*y)*atan((abs(x)-abs(y))/(abs(x)+abs(y))))

    -pi()/(8+10^-15)))/2*sign((x^2-y^2)*(x*y))),8)

public class So49290 {
    int piece(int x,int y) {
        double angle=Math.atan2(y,x);
        if(angle<0) angle+=2*Math.PI;
        int piece=(int)Math.round(n*angle/(2*Math.PI));
        if(piece==n)
            piece=0;
        return piece;
    }
    void run(int x,int y) {
        System.out.println("("+x+","+y+") is "+s[piece(x,y)]);
    }
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        So49290 so=new So49290();
        so.run(1,0);
        so.run(1,1);
        so.run(0,1);
        so.run(-1,1);
        so.run(-1,0);
        so.run(-1,-1);
        so.run(0,-1);
        so.run(1,-1);
    }
    int n=8;
    static final String[] s=new String[] {"e","ne","n","nw","w","sw","s","se"};
}

h_axis = ""
v_axis = ""

if (x > 0) h_axis = "E"
if (x < 0) h_axis = "W"
if (y > 0) v_axis = "S"
if (y < 0) v_axis = "N"

return v_axis.append_string(h_axis)

// main direction constants
DIR_E = 0x1
DIR_W = 0x2
DIR_S = 0x4
DIR_N = 0x8
// mixed direction constants
DIR_NW = DIR_N | DIR_W
DIR_SW = DIR_S | DIR_W
DIR_NE = DIR_N | DIR_E
DIR_SE = DIR_S | DIR_E

// calculating the direction
dir = 0x0

if (x > 0) dir |= DIR_E
if (x < 0) dir |= DIR_W
if (y > 0) dir |= DIR_S
if (y < 0) dir |= DIR_N

return dir