*args / **kwargs remodelled

_compatibility.py

@@ -3,5 +3,14 @@
 try:
     next = next
 except NameError:
-    def next(obj):
-        return obj.next()
+    _raiseStopIteration = object()
+    def next(iterator, default=_raiseStopIteration):
+        if not hasattr(iterator, 'next'):
+           raise TypeError("not an iterator")
+        try:
+           return iterator.next()
+        except StopIteration:
+            if default is _raiseStopIteration:
+                raise
+            else:
+                return default