leetcode-ZigZag Conversion

The string "PAYPALISHIRING" 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   A   H   N
A P L S I I G
Y   I   R

And then read line by line:  "PAHNAPLSIIGYIR"

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

string convert(string text, int nRows);

convert("PAYPALISHIRING", 3) should return "PAHNAPLSIIGYIR".

public class Solution {
    public String convert(String s, int nRows) {
     StringBuffer result=new StringBuffer();
     if(nRows==0||s.length()==0)return result.toString();
     if(nRows==1||s.length()==1)return s;
     StringBuffer[] str=new StringBuffer[nRows];                        
     for(int j=0;j<nRows;j++)str[j]=new StringBuffer();
     int dic=-1;
     int ord=0;     // order of the StirngBuffer
    for(char c: s.toCharArray()){
         str[ord].append(String.valueOf(c));   
         if(ord==nRows-1||ord==0)dic*=-1;
         ord+=dic;
    }
     //concat all the strings
     int i=0;
     while(i<nRows){
         result.append(str[i].toString());
         i++;
     }
     return result.toString();
    }
}

Problems encountered:

1 for the StringBuffer array, not only that the array needed to be initialized, but each of the element needs to be initialized, or there will be the null pointer exception.

2 no problem is too small! Forget to update the variable when using while!!!