Pagination

Definition

Pagination splits a long result list into pages that a client requests one at a time. Offset paging says “skip N, give me M”; cursor paging says “continue after this item”. When the data changes during the read, the choice decides whether items are skipped or repeated.

In plain terms

Lists change while you read them. With offset paging, one new item at the top pushes every later item down a place, so the next page starts one item too early and shows a repeat; a deleted item does the opposite and an item is skipped. Cursor (keyset) paging anchors to a specific item and is steadier.

For anyone building a record of a list, the rule is simple: a list captured in pages is complete only if every page was read. If a page fails, call the capture partial, and never conclude from it that an item has “disappeared from the list”.

Example

A list holds A, B, C, D, E, F; the page size is 3.

The offset reader ends with a repeat and a gap; the cursor reader has every item once.

Common misunderstandings

• “Paging gives a consistent snapshot.” Only if the interface explicitly promises it; usually each page is read from the live data.
• “A failed last page is a small problem.” It makes the capture partial, and absence conclusions drawn from it are unsupported.
• “Page numbers identify items.” Positions shift as the list changes; use stable item identifiers.