[logophobia]

So, the unpack/pack solution seems a bit weird to me. Why do you need to convert a string to a list just to iterate? I'm assuming "List" is a linked list.

Why not have an Iterable/Enumerable typeclass/trait/interface which is implemented by each dataset that is listly? Seems a lot more efficient and easier to understand then having to convert between representations just to iterate or change elements.