> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://quantumphp.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://quantumphp.gitbook.io/docs/packages/paginator/adapters.md).

# Adapters

Paginator behavior depends on which adapter you create.

## Array adapter

`ArrayPaginator` is the simple option for already-loaded data.

Use it when you have an in-memory array and want to slice it into pages without touching the database layer.

```php
$paginator = PaginatorFactory::create(PaginatorType::ARRAY, [
    'items' => $items,
    'perPage' => 20,
    'page' => 3,
]);
```

### Input contract

* `items` must be an array
* `perPage` is an integer
* `page` is an integer and defaults to `1`

### Returned data

* `data()` returns the current page slice as an array
* `firstItem()` and `lastItem()` return the first and last item from that slice
* when the current page has no items, `firstItem()` and `lastItem()` return `null`

### Good fit

Choose this adapter when the source data is already in memory, such as filtered config rows, API results you already fetched, or custom service output.

## Model adapter

`ModelPaginator` paginates a Quantum `DbModel` query.

Use it when you already have a model builder with criteria, ordering, or joins applied and you want a paginated result plus navigation metadata.

```php
$paginator = PaginatorFactory::create(PaginatorType::MODEL, [
    'model' => $postModel,
    'perPage' => 15,
    'page' => 2,
]);
```

### Input contract

* `model` must be a `DbModel` instance
* `perPage` is an integer
* `page` is an integer and defaults to `1`

### Returned data

* `data()` returns a `ModelCollection`
* `firstItem()` and `lastItem()` return models from that collection or `null` when the page is empty

### Query behavior that affects usage

* Build your filters and sorting first, then create the paginator.
* `data()`, `firstItem()`, and `lastItem()` may each trigger data loading, so fetch once and reuse when possible.
* If you paginate a named model class, returned rows are hydrated back into that model type.

## Shared adapter behavior

Both adapters share the same paging metadata API through `PaginatorInterface`, including:

* current, previous, next, and last page numbers
* current, previous, next, first, and last page links
* `links()` for the full page list
* `getPagination()` for ready-made HTML output


---

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