def parts(xs, number = None, length = None):
    """
    Split a list into either the specified number of parts or
    a number of parts each of the specified length. The elements
    are distributed somewhat evenly among the parts if possible.

    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], length=1))
    [[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], length=2))
    [[1, 2], [3, 4], [5, 6], [7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], length=3))
    [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6], [7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], length=4))
    [[1, 2, 3, 4], [5, 6, 7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], length=5))
    [[1, 2, 3, 4, 5], [6, 7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], length=6))
    [[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6], [7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], length=7))
    [[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]]

    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], 1))
    [[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], 2))
    [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6, 7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], 3))
    [[1, 2], [3, 4], [5, 6, 7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], 4))
    [[1], [2, 3], [4, 5], [6, 7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], 5))
    [[1], [2], [3], [4, 5], [6, 7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], 6))
    [[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6, 7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], 7))
    [[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]]

    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], 7, [1,1,1,1,1,1,1]))
    [[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], length=[1,1,1,1,1,1,1]))
    [[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6], length=[2,2,2]))
    [[1, 2], [3, 4], [5, 6]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6], length=[1,2,3]))
    [[1], [2, 3], [4, 5, 6]]

    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6], 2, 3))
    [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6], number=3, length=2))
    [[1, 2], [3, 4], [5, 6]]
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6], 2, length=[1,2,3]))
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      ...
    PartsError: 'Number of parts does not match number of part lengths specified in input.'
    >>> list(parts([1,2,3,4,5,6,7], number=3, length=2))
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      ...
    PartsError: 'List cannot be split into 3 parts each of length 2.'
    """
    if number is not None and type(number) is not int:
        raise PartsError("Number of parts must be an integer.")

    if length is not None:
        if type(length) is not int: 
            if type(length) is not list or (not all([type(l) is int for l in length])):
                raise PartsError("Length parameter must be an integer or list of integers.")

    if number is not None and length is None:
        number = max(1, min(len(xs), number)) # Number should be reasonable.
        length = len(xs) // number
        i = 0
        # Produce parts by updating length after each part to ensure
        # an even distribution.
        while number > 0 and i < len(xs):
            number -= 1
            if number == 0:
                yield xs[i:]
                break
            else:
                yield xs[i:i + length]
                i += length
                length = (len(xs) - i) // number
    elif number is None and length is not None:
        if type(length) is int:
            length = max(1, length)
            for i in range(0, len(xs), length): # Yield parts of specified length.
                yield xs[i:i + length]
        else: # Length is a list of integers.
            xs_index = 0
            len_index = 0
            while xs_index < len(xs):
                if xs_index + length[len_index] <= len(xs):
                    yield xs[xs_index:xs_index + length[len_index]]
                    xs_index += length[len_index]
                    len_index += 1
                else:
                    raise PartsError("Cannot return part of requested length; list too short.")
    elif number is not None and length is not None:
        if type(length) is int:
            if length * number != len(xs):
                raise PartsError("List cannot be split into " + str(number) + " parts each of length " + str(length) + ".")
            length = max(1, length)
            for i in range(0, len(xs), length): # Yield parts of specified length.
                yield xs[i:i + length]
        else: # Length is a list of integers.
            if len(length) == number:
                xs_index = 0
                len_index = 0
                while xs_index < len(xs):
                    if xs_index + length[len_index] <= len(xs):
                        yield xs[xs_index:xs_index + length[len_index]]
                        xs_index += length[len_index]
                        len_index += 1
                    else:
                        raise PartsError("Cannot return part of requested length; list too short.")
            else:
                raise PartsError("Number of parts does not match number of part lengths specified in input.")
    else: # Neither is specified.
        raise PartsError("Must specify number of parts or length of each part.")