8 files changed, 34 insertions, 32 deletions
diff --git a/src/algebra/catdef.spad.pamphlet b/src/algebra/catdef.spad.pamphlet
index 2ca2216b..694d169f 100644
--- a/src/algebra/catdef.spad.pamphlet
+++ b/src/algebra/catdef.spad.pamphlet
@@ -1963,13 +1963,14 @@ SetCategory(): Category == Join(BasicType,CoercibleTo OutputForm) with
 ++ starting from any initial element.
 ++
 ++ Conditional attributes:
-++   infinite\tab{15}repeated \spad{nextItem}'s are never "failed".
+++   infinite\tab{15}repeated \spad{nextItem}'s are never \spad{nothing}.
 StepThrough(): Category == SetCategory with
     --operations
       init:             %
         ++ init() chooses an initial object for stepping.
-      nextItem: % -> Union(%,"failed")
-        ++ nextItem(x) returns the next item, or "failed" if domain is exhausted.
+      nextItem: % -> Maybe %
+        ++ \spad{nextItem(x)} returns the next item, or \spad{failed}
+        ++ if domain is exhausted.
 
 @
 \section{category UFD UniqueFactorizationDomain}
diff --git a/src/algebra/ffcat.spad.pamphlet b/src/algebra/ffcat.spad.pamphlet
index 2d1d6337..78a1c6a3 100644
--- a/src/algebra/ffcat.spad.pamphlet
+++ b/src/algebra/ffcat.spad.pamphlet
@@ -585,9 +585,10 @@ FiniteFieldCategory() : Category ==_
 
     differentiate x          == 0
     init() == 0
-    nextItem(a) ==
-      zero?(a:=index(lookup(a)+1)) => "failed"
-      a
+    nextItem a ==
+      a := index(lookup(a)+1)
+      zero? a => nothing
+      just a
     order(e):OnePointCompletion(PositiveInteger) ==
       (order(e)@PI)::OnePointCompletion(PositiveInteger)
 
diff --git a/src/algebra/fmod.spad.pamphlet b/src/algebra/fmod.spad.pamphlet
index b40501f5..071bd6e7 100644
--- a/src/algebra/fmod.spad.pamphlet
+++ b/src/algebra/fmod.spad.pamphlet
@@ -40,10 +40,10 @@ IntegerMod(p:PositiveInteger):
   0 == per(0$Rep)
   1 == per(1$Rep)
   init == 0
-  nextItem(n) ==
+  nextItem n ==
     m := n+1
-    m = 0 => "failed"
-    m
+    m = 0 => nothing
+    just m
 
   zero? x == rep x = 0
   one? x == rep x = 1
diff --git a/src/algebra/fraction.spad.pamphlet b/src/algebra/fraction.spad.pamphlet
index a1ef630b..1e691362 100644
--- a/src/algebra/fraction.spad.pamphlet
+++ b/src/algebra/fraction.spad.pamphlet
@@ -173,10 +173,10 @@ QuotientFieldCategory(S: IntegralDomain): Category ==
        init() == init()$S / 1$S
 
        nextItem(n) ==
-         m:= nextItem(numer(n))
-         m case "failed" =>
+         m:= nextItem numer n
+         m case nothing =>
            error "We seem to have a Fraction of a finite object"
-         m / 1
+         just(m / 1)
 
     map(fn, x)                         == (fn numer x) / (fn denom x)
     reducedSystem(m:Matrix %):Matrix S == clearDenominator m
diff --git a/src/algebra/integer.spad.pamphlet b/src/algebra/integer.spad.pamphlet
index f660ec96..0b70def4 100644
--- a/src/algebra/integer.spad.pamphlet
+++ b/src/algebra/integer.spad.pamphlet
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ Integer: Join(IntegerNumberSystem, ConvertibleTo String, OpenMath) with
     noetherian
       ++ ascending chain condition on ideals.
     infinite
-      ++ nextItem never returns "failed".
+      ++ nextItem never returns \spad{nothing}.
  == add
       ZP ==> SparseUnivariatePolynomial %
       ZZP ==> SparseUnivariatePolynomial Integer
diff --git a/src/algebra/pfbr.spad.pamphlet b/src/algebra/pfbr.spad.pamphlet
index 85943f84..5919c7ec 100644
--- a/src/algebra/pfbr.spad.pamphlet
+++ b/src/algebra/pfbr.spad.pamphlet
@@ -176,10 +176,10 @@ PolynomialFactorizationByRecursionUnivariate(R, S): public == private where
        while true repeat
           tempAns:=factorSFBRlcUnitInner(pp,val)
           not (tempAns case "failed") => return tempAns
-          val1:=nextItem val
-          val1 case "failed" =>
+          val1 := nextItem val
+          val1 case nothing =>
             error "at this point, we know we have a finite field"
-          val:=val1
+          val := val1
    else
      factorSFBRlcUnit(pp) ==
        val:R := randomR()
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ PolynomialFactorizationByRecursionUnivariate(R, S): public == private where
       randomCount:R:= init()
       randomR() ==
         v:=nextItem(randomCount)
-        v case "failed" =>
+        v case nothing =>
           SAY$Lisp "Taking another set of random values"
           randomCount:=init()
           randomCount
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ PolynomialFactorizationByRecursion(R,E, VarSet:OrderedSet, S): public ==
           tempAns:=factorSFBRlcUnitInner(lvpp,pp,val)
           not (tempAns case "failed") => return tempAns
           val1:=nextItem val
-          val1 case "failed" =>
+          val1 case nothing =>
             error "at this point, we know we have a finite field"
           val:=val1
    else
diff --git a/src/algebra/polycat.spad.pamphlet b/src/algebra/polycat.spad.pamphlet
index 8931a6de..499b3903 100644
--- a/src/algebra/polycat.spad.pamphlet
+++ b/src/algebra/polycat.spad.pamphlet
@@ -842,25 +842,25 @@ UnivariatePolynomialCategory(R:Ring): Category ==
 
     if R has StepThrough then
        init() == init()$R::%
-       nextItemInner: % -> Union(%,"failed")
+       nextItemInner: % -> Maybe %
        nextItemInner(n) ==
-         zero? n => nextItem(0$R)::R::% -- assumed not to fail
+         zero? n => just(nextItem(0$R)::R::%) -- assumed not to fail
          zero? degree n =>
            nn:=nextItem leadingCoefficient n
-           nn case "failed" => "failed"
-           nn::R::%
+           nn case nothing => nothing
+           just(nn::R::%)
          n1:=reductum n
          n2:=nextItemInner n1 -- try stepping the reductum
-         n2 case % => monomial(leadingCoefficient n,degree n) + n2
+         n2 case % => just(monomial(leadingCoefficient n,degree n) + n2)
          1+degree n1 < degree n => -- there was a hole between lt n and n1
-           monomial(leadingCoefficient n,degree n)+
-             monomial(nextItem(init()$R)::R,1+degree n1)
+           just(monomial(leadingCoefficient n,degree n)+
+             monomial(nextItem(init()$R)::R,1+degree n1))
          n3:=nextItem leadingCoefficient n
-         n3 case "failed" => "failed"
-         monomial(n3,degree n)
+         n3 case nothing => nothing
+         just monomial(n3,degree n)
        nextItem(n) ==
          n1:=nextItemInner n
-         n1 case "failed" => monomial(nextItem(init()$R)::R,1+degree(n))
+         n1 case nothing => just monomial(nextItem(init()$R)::R,1+degree(n))
          n1
 
     if R has GcdDomain then
diff --git a/src/algebra/si.spad.pamphlet b/src/algebra/si.spad.pamphlet
index ded2a935..085cc0fe 100644
--- a/src/algebra/si.spad.pamphlet
+++ b/src/algebra/si.spad.pamphlet
@@ -109,10 +109,10 @@ IntegerNumberSystem(): Category ==
    init() == 0
 
    -- iterates in order 0,1,-1,2,-2,3,-3,...
-   nextItem(n) ==
-     zero? n => 1
-     n>0 => -n
-     1-n
+   nextItem n ==
+     zero? n => just 1
+     n > 0 => just(-n)
+     just(1-n)
 
    patternMatch(x, p, l) ==
      patternMatch(x, p, l)$PatternMatchIntegerNumberSystem(%)