Iterfetchnext

Iterfetchnext is a term used in some programming contexts to describe a helper function that retrieves the next item from an iterator, stream, or database cursor while advancing the internal position. It is not part of a universal standard, but it appears in various codebases and libraries as a convenient abstraction for consuming data in a controlled, incremental fashion.

Typical behavior and signatures vary by language and library. A common pattern is to return both the next value and an indication of whether a value was actually retrieved, for example as a pair (value, ok) or as an option type (Some(value) / None). In other designs, the function returns the next value and raises an end-of-iteration exception or signals end by a special sentinel value. In Python-like pseudocode, it might resemble returning the next element if available, or None when the iteration is exhausted.

Usage patterns often involve streaming data or consuming results from a cursor where the total size is unknown in advance. Iterfetchnext can be used in loops that repeatedly fetch items until exhaustion, enabling memory-efficient processing of large or infinite sequences. It is especially common in data processing pipelines, where components consume data from a producer one item at a time.

Implementation notes emphasize handling end-of-iteration gracefully and avoiding silent errors. Because the exact contract of iterfetchnext varies, developers should consult the documentation of the specific library or project in which it appears. Related concepts include general iterators, fetch-one or fetch-many primitives, and cursor-based data retrieval.

See also: iter, next, fetchone, fetchmany, cursor.