# Normalize hatches: one hatch per dataset (no per-patch cycling)
num_datasets = len(heights)
user_hatch = kwargs.get("hatch", None)

if user_hatch is None:
    # No hatch specified → all datasets get None
    hatches = [None] * num_datasets
else:
    # Ensure list-like
    if isinstance(user_hatch, str):
        raise TypeError("hatch must be a list-like of strings, not a single string")

    try:
        hatch_list = list(user_hatch)
    except TypeError:
        raise TypeError("hatch must be list-like")

    if len(hatch_list) < num_datasets:
        raise ValueError(
            f"Expected at least {num_datasets} hatch patterns for {num_datasets} datasets"
        )

    # Use exactly one hatch per dataset
    hatches = hatch_list[:num_datasets]

# Iterator used by the bar-creation loop
hatches = iter(hatches)