def _merge_by_keys(cls, session, items, hash_item, *attrs):
        """An object can have multiple attributes as its key. This merges the
        items to be added with existing items in the database based on their
        key(s).

        session: Session object for querying the DB.
        items: Iterator of items to be added to the DB.
        hash_item: Function that takes as in put the item to be added and
                   returns a hash of it.
        attrs: List of attributes of the object/class that represent the
               object's key.

        Returns the next item (in items) that is not already in the DB.
        """
        # Note: items is an iterator, not an iterable, 'tee' is a must.
        items_iter1, items_iter2 = tee(items)

        keys = {}  # map of hash -> keys of the item
        for i in items_iter1:
            # An item's key is a map of 'attr -> item[attr]' where attr is
            # usually a column name.
            # For 'SharedText', its key would look like: {
            #   "kind": "feature",
            #   "contents": "via tito",
            # }
            item_hash = hash_item(i)
            keys[item_hash] = {attr.key: getattr(i, attr.key) for attr in attrs}

        # Find existing items.
        existing_ids = {}  # map of item_hash -> existing ID
        cls_attrs = [getattr(cls, attr.key) for attr in attrs]
        for fetch_keys in split_every(BATCH_SIZE, keys.values()):
            filters = []
            for fetch_key in fetch_keys:
                # Sub-filters for checking if item with fetch_key is in the DB
                # Example: [
                #   SharedText.kind.__eq__("feature"),
                #   SharedText.contents.__eq__("via tito"),
                # ]
                subfilter = [
                    getattr(cls, attr).__eq__(val) for attr, val in fetch_key.items()
                ]
                filters.append(and_(*subfilter))
            existing_items = (
                session.query(cls.id, *cls_attrs).filter(or_(*(filters))).all()
            )
            for existing_item in existing_items:
                item_hash = hash_item(existing_item)
                existing_ids[item_hash] = existing_item.id

        # Now see if we can merge
        new_items = {}
        for i in items_iter2:
            item_hash = hash_item(i)
            if item_hash in existing_ids:
                # The key is already in the DB
                i.id.resolve(existing_ids[item_hash], is_new=False)
            elif item_hash in new_items:
                # The key is already in the list of new items
                i.id.resolve(new_items[item_hash].id, is_new=False)
            else:
                # The key is new
                new_items[item_hash] = i
                yield i