paginated

Paginated is an adjective describing content that is divided into pages or delivered in discrete parts. In print, pagination refers to the assignment of page numbers and layout across a document. In digital media and software, paginated content is split into manageable chunks, with navigation controls to move between pages or chunks.

In traditional publishing, pages are defined by size, margins, and typographic conventions; front matter often uses Roman numerals, while the main content uses Arabic numerals. Digital pagination, by contrast, frequently uses a fixed page size or a virtual page concept, independent of device screen size and capable of adapting to different viewing contexts.

Common pagination patterns in software include offset-based pagination (limit and offset), which retrieves a portion of results and requires a total order; and cursor-based pagination, which uses a pointer to the last item. Keyset pagination can improve performance for large datasets but may complicate navigation and consistency across pages.

User interfaces present pagination through page numbers and next/previous controls; accessible implementations use semantic roles and ARIA attributes to convey structure to assistive technologies. Some sites employ infinite scrolling as an alternative, offering a continuous experience without explicit page boundaries. For APIs, paginated endpoints return a page size and a token or page index to retrieve subsequent data sets.

Paginated content offers performance benefits by reducing memory usage and load times and supports user-friendly navigation, but requires careful state management and consistent ordering to avoid missing or duplicating items.