<p>The string <code>&quot;PAYPALISHIRING&quot;</code> is written in a zigzag pattern on a given number of rows like this: (you may want to display this pattern in a fixed font for better legibility)</p>

<pre>
P   A   H   N
A P L S I I G
Y   I   R
</pre>

<p>And then read line by line: <code>&quot;PAHNAPLSIIGYIR&quot;</code></p>

<p>Write the code that will take a string and make this conversion given a number of rows:</p>

<pre>
string convert(string s, int numRows);
</pre>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong class="example">Example 1:</strong></p>

<pre>
<strong>Input:</strong> s = &quot;PAYPALISHIRING&quot;, numRows = 3
<strong>Output:</strong> &quot;PAHNAPLSIIGYIR&quot;
</pre>

<p><strong class="example">Example 2:</strong></p>

<pre>
<strong>Input:</strong> s = &quot;PAYPALISHIRING&quot;, numRows = 4
<strong>Output:</strong> &quot;PINALSIGYAHRPI&quot;
<strong>Explanation:</strong>
P     I    N
A   L S  I G
Y A   H R
P     I
</pre>

<p><strong class="example">Example 3:</strong></p>

<pre>
<strong>Input:</strong> s = &quot;A&quot;, numRows = 1
<strong>Output:</strong> &quot;A&quot;
</pre>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Constraints:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li><code>1 &lt;= s.length &lt;= 1000</code></li>
	<li><code>s</code> consists of English letters (lower-case and upper-case), <code>&#39;,&#39;</code> and <code>&#39;.&#39;</code>.</li>
	<li><code>1 &lt;= numRows &lt;= 1000</code></li>
</ul>

from math import floor,ceil

class Solution:
    def convert(self, s: str, numRows: int) -> str:
        if numRows >= len(s) or numRows == 1:
            return s

        total_cols = ceil(len(s) / 2)

        matrix = []

        for i in range(numRows):
            matrix.append(['0' for i in range(total_cols)])
        
        ind = 0
        skip_col = 0
        j = 0

        while (j in range(total_cols)) & (ind < len(s)):
            if skip_col == 0:
                for k in range(numRows):
                    matrix[k][j] = s[ind]
                    ind +=1
                    if(ind >= len(s)):
                        break
                skip_col = numRows - 2
            else:
                print(skip_col, j, ind, len(s))
                matrix[skip_col][j] = s[ind]
                ind += 1
                if(ind >= len(s)):
                        break
                skip_col -= 1
            j += 1

        zigzag_str = ""

        for i in range(numRows):
            for j in range(total_cols):
                if matrix[i][j] != '0':
                    zigzag_str += matrix[i][j]
        

        return zigzag_str

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