title: In Python + MySQL, is it better to use an SSCursor, or to use a paginated Stored Procedure?
body: <p>I'm on Python 2.7 (sigh) and MySQL 5.6.23.</p>
  
  <p>I need to retrieve a lot of data from MySQL using Python.</p>
  
  <p>I read about SSCursors, and I also saw something about creating a paginated query (stored procedure in my case).</p>
  
  <p>Apparently SSCursors have pluses and minuses, as perhaps do paginated queries.</p>
  
  <p>SSCursors don't appear to like concurrency - when using an SSCursor, you can only have one query in flight at a time (?). Also, they appear to be less than portable?</p>
  
  <p>And with paginated queries, I have to wonder what would happen if relevant tables were modified During the query - would you possibly miss a row or get a duplicate row?  Also with paginated queries, I heard that the last page of data takes time proportionate to the entire query, so they might not help me much?</p>
  
  <p>So what's better - SSCursors or Paginated SP's/Queries?  And is the above stuff true?</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1808150/how-to-efficiently-use-mysqldb-sscursor">How to efficiently use MySQLDB SScursor?</a> is useful and one of my source documents, but does not appear to address paginated queries or portability.</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/337479/how-to-get-a-row-by-row-mysql-resultset-in-python">How to get a row-by-row MySQL ResultSet in python</a> is closer.  I added a comment there about the portability of what's discussed.</p>