Tuples

Introduction

Tuples are immutable ordered sequences — perfect for fixed records, dict keys, and function return values.

Understanding the topic

Core concepts to understand:

• (1, 2, 3) or 1, 2, 3.
• Immutable → hashable → usable as dict keys.
• Tuple unpacking: x, y = point.
• NamedTuple for self-documenting tuples.

Syntax reference

Visual flow / code:

point = (3, 4)
x, y = point  # unpack

# As dict key
distances = {(0, 0): 0, (3, 4): 5}

# Return multiple values
def divmod_(a, b):
    return a // b, a % b

q, r = divmod_(17, 5)

# NamedTuple
from typing import NamedTuple
class Point(NamedTuple):
    x: int
    y: int
p = Point(1, 2)
print(p.x)

Execution workflow

Real-world use

NamedTuples (or dataclasses) replace plain tuples in modern Python — self-documenting, IDE-friendly, still immutable.

Best practices

• Use tuples for fixed-shape records.
• Prefer NamedTuple/dataclass over raw tuples in APIs.
• Tuple unpacking > index access.

Hands-on exercise

Interview preparation — practice these questions:

• Tuple vs list?
• Why are tuples hashable?
• NamedTuple vs dataclass?

Summary

In summary: Immutable, hashable, fast. NamedTuple > raw tuple for clarity.