Python Tuple [Easy Examples]

Today we’re talking about another built-in data type in Python – Tuples. A tuple in Python is used to store multiple elements in an ordered and unchangeable (immutable) manner.

If you need the data to be changeable, a Python list is what you need. Now, without any further delay, let’s get right into our Tuple datatype.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll know:

Python Tuple – Syntax and Examples

Tuples are defined with simple brackets. Here’s a sample definition of a tuple:

SampleTuple = ("Element1", "Element2", "Element3")

Here are some more examples of tuple definitions:

#an empty tuple
emptyTup=()

#tuple of integers
intTup=(1,2,3,4,5)

Lastly, you don’t have to stick to a single data type when adding elements to tuples:

#Tuples with multiple datatypes
multiTuple = ("This is a string", 1, True)
print(multiTuple)

If you run the above code, you’ll have no issues getting the output tuple:

('This is a string', 1, True)

Accessing a Value in Python Tuple

You can access tuples with indexes. The index of the first element is 0 and the last element has an index of n-1.

#tuple of string
strTup=('This','is','a','tuple')

#accessing first element
print(strTup[0])

#accessing second element
print(strTup[1])

#accessing fourth element
print(strTup[3])

The output of the above code will be like below-

Tuples also support negative indexing where the last element of a tuple is indexed -1

#tuple of string
strTup=('This','is','a','tuple')

#accessing first element from the right
print(strTup[-1])

#accessing second element from the right
print(strTup[-2])

#accessing second element from the right
print(strTup[-4])

The output will be like below.

Update and Delete Elements in Tuples

Since tuples are immutable objects, the defined elements cannot be changed or updated. But you can combine two tuples into a third one when required.

Similarly, deleting individual elements is not possible, but with the del keyword, you can remove the tuple from your program.

#tuple 1
tup1=(1,2,3)

#tuple 2
tup2=(4,5)

#tuple 3
tup3=tup1+tup2

print(tup3)

#to delete tuple 1
del tup1
#this will show a traceback as tup1 is deleted. So it is not defined now
print(tup1)

The above code will give you the output as show in the screenshot here:

Some of the built-in functions for Tuples in Python

Tuples offer a variety of built-in functions which reduce the lines of code required. Let’s look at some of the functionality offered by tuples.

#a string tuple
tup=('this','is','a','tuple')

#len(tuple) gives total length of a tuple
print(len(tup))

#max(tuple) gives maximum element of a tuple
print(max(tup))

#min(tuple) gives minimum element of a tuple
print(min(tup))

#count(x) gives number of occurances of x in the tuple
print(tup.count('is'))

#index(x) gives index of first occurances of x in the tuple
print(tup.index('a'))

You should get the following output if you run the above code.

Conclusion

And that brings us to the end of this tutorial on the Python tuple. Go over each piece of code thoroughly to get an understanding of the functions.

You can also refer to the Python tutorial if you want a roadmap to learning all the functions on your coding journey. #happy_coding 🙂

Reference: https://docs.python.org/3.7/tutorial/datastructures.html#tuples-and-sequences