Introduction
Python tuples are one of the built‑in data structures used to store collections of elements.
They are similar to lists in many ways but have an important difference: tuples are
immutable. This means that once a tuple is created, its elements cannot be modified.
Tuples are commonly used when programmers want to store fixed data that should not
change during program execution. Because of their immutability, tuples are often used to
ensure data integrity in programs.
In Python programming, tuples are frequently used for returning multiple values from
functions, storing configuration settings, and representing structured data.
Definition
A tuple in Python is an ordered collection of elements that cannot be modified after
creation. Tuples are defined using parentheses ().
For example: coordinates = (10, 20). In this example, two values are stored together inside a
tuple.
Tuples can contain different types of data including integers, strings, floats, and even other
tuples.
Key Characteristics of Tuples
Tuples are ordered collections, meaning the order of elements is preserved.
Tuples are immutable, so elements cannot be changed once the tuple is created.
Tuples allow duplicate values.
Tuples support indexing and slicing operations similar to lists.
Tuples generally consume less memory compared to lists.
Creating Tuples in Python
There are multiple ways to create tuples in Python.
The most common method is using parentheses: numbers = (1,2,3,4).
A tuple can also be created without parentheses by separating elements with commas:
numbers = 1,2,3.