[Biopython] how Entrez.parse() internally work

[c.buhtz at posteo.jp]

On 2015-12-09 13:23 Peter Cock <p.j.a.cock at googlemail.com> wrote:
> There is one call to  Entrez.efetch using the retstart and retmax
> values given. The NCBI will return a stream of data (like a file
> handle) containing one record after another.

"stream"? Not sure if I understand that.

In my case there are round about 5 GB of data in one complete eFetch
call (if retmax would be 99999). When are these 5 GB transfered from
the NCBI to me?
When I call Entrez.eFetch(retmax=999999)?
Or is physically/really only one record (some KBytes, not much)
transfered from NCBI to me while each iteration (or next())?

I don't want to be called from NCBI because of to much load on their
servers. ;)
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