APIs often deal with massive amounts of data, and sending it all at once can overwhelm servers and clients. That’s where pagination comes in, breaking data into smaller chunks for better performance and usability.
Types of Pagination:
-
Offset-Based
- Page-Size Based: Specify page number and size.
- Offset-Limit Based: Define a starting point and a limit.
- Best For: Simple, static datasets like product catalogs.
-
Cursor-Based
- Key-Based: Use unique IDs to fetch the next batch.
- Time-Based: Use timestamps for consistent ordering.
- Best For: Real-time feeds and large, dynamic datasets.
Here’s a quick summary
| Criteria | Offset-Based | Cursor-Based |
|---|---|---|
| Data Volume | Small to medium | Large datasets |
| Data Changes Often? | Not ideal | Excellent |
| Implementation Ease | Simple | Slightly complex |
| Performance | Slower for large data | Faster for large data |
| UI Type | Paged navigation | Infinite scrolling |
Each has pros and cons—Offset is simple but slower for large datasets, while Cursor is efficient but more complex. Choose wisely! 🎯
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