itsElem

itsElem is a placeholder term used in software documentation and examples to refer to a single element within a collection, array, list, or other data structure. It is not a reserved keyword in any major language; rather, it appears in sample code and explanations to illustrate operations on one item.

Etymology and usage. The name derives from its meaning its element, indicating ownership or relation to a specific container. It is commonly used in tutorials, pseudocode, and design notes where the focus is the element rather than the container.

In practice, itsElem is used in contexts such as iteration, search, filtering, and transformation. A typical pattern is to bind itsElem to the current item within a loop or a higher-order function, then apply logic that depends only on that element.

Relation to languages and libraries. Since itsElem is not a language construct, its usage depends on the programmer's naming choices. In languages with explicit iterators or items, it is often replaced by item, elem, element, or current. In functional style, it may appear as a parameter name to a function such as map or filter.

Considerations. When using itsElem in documentation, maintain consistency with surrounding code and choose a clear, descriptive name if the container has a specific meaning, such as user, product, or price.

See also. Element, Item, Iterator, Collection, Element naming conventions.