Iterator: meaning, definitions and examples

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iterator

 

[ ɪˈteɪtəˌr ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

programming concept

An iterator is an object that enables traversal through a collection, such as a list or a set, without exposing the underlying structure. Iterators typically provide methods to access the elements one at a time, allowing for efficient data manipulation and access.

Synonyms

iterator object, traverser

Examples of usage

  • The for loop uses an iterator to go through each element.
  • You can create a custom iterator for your class.
  • An iterator can be implemented to work with different data structures.

Word origin

The term 'iterator' originated from the combination of the prefix 'it-' derived from Latin, meaning 'to go', and the suffix '-ator', which denotes an agent or something that performs an action. The word was adopted in the field of computer science in the late 1980s as programming languages began to incorporate the concept of abstract data types and collection classes. This marked a significant shift in how programmers managed and accessed data structures. The iterator pattern became vital in allowing for uniform access to elements in a collection, thus promoting code reusability and flexibility. The formal definition of 'iterator' was popularized as a design pattern in the design patterns literature, particularly in the influential work 'Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software' by Erich Gamma et al. published in 1994, which further solidified the term's significance in software engineering.