Using PRIOR and NEXT

The PRIOR(n) returns the index number that precede index n in a collection. The NEXT(n) returns the index number which succeed the index n. If n has no predecessor, then the PRIOR(n) returns NULL. Similarly, if n has no successor, then NEXT(n) returns NULL. The PRIOR and NEXT do not wrap from one end of a collection to another. For illustration, the statement below assigns a NULL to n as the first element in a collection has no predecessor:

n := courses.PRIOR(courses.FIRST); -- assigns NULL to n

The PRIOR is the inverse of NEXT. For illustration, if element i exists, the statement below assigns element i to itself:

projects(i) := projects.PRIOR(projects.NEXT(i));

You can use PRIOR or NEXT to traverse the collections indexed by any sequence of subscripts. In the example below, you use NEXT to traverse a nested table from that some elements have been deleted:

i := courses.FIRST; -- get subscript of first element

WHILE i IS NOT NULL LOOP

-- do something with courses(i)

i := courses.NEXT(i); -- get subscript of next element

END LOOP;