{"id":83,"date":"2020-10-03T01:18:32","date_gmt":"2020-10-03T01:18:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pythontutorial.net\/?page_id=83"},"modified":"2025-03-26T13:45:12","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T13:45:12","slug":"python-tuples","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pythontutorial.net\/python-basics\/python-tuples\/","title":{"rendered":"Python Tuples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: in this tutorial, you’ll learn about Python tuples and how to use them effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to Python tuples #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, you want to create a list<\/a> of items that cannot be changed throughout the program. Tuples allow you to do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tuple is a list that cannot change. Python refers to a value that cannot change as immutable<\/a><\/strong>. So by definition, a tuple is an immutable list.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defining a tuple #<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A tuple is like a list except that it uses parentheses ()<\/code> instead of square brackets []<\/code>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following example defines a tuple called rgb<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n

rgb = ('red'<\/span>, 'green'<\/span>, 'blue'<\/span>)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Once defining a tuple, you can access an individual element by its index. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
rgb = ('red'<\/span>, 'green'<\/span>, 'blue'<\/span>)\n\nprint(rgb[0<\/span>])\nprint(rgb[1<\/span>])\nprint(rgb[2<\/span>])<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
red\ngreen\nblue<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Since a tuple is immutable, you cannot change its elements. The following example attempts to change the first element of the rgb<\/code> tuple to 'yellow'<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n
rgb = ('red'<\/span>, 'green'<\/span>, 'blue'<\/span>)\nrgb[0<\/span>] = 'yellow'<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
And it results in an error:<\/p>\n\n\n
TypeError: 'tuple'<\/span> object does not<\/span> support item assignment<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Defining a tuple that has one element #<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To define a tuple with one element, you need to include a trailing comma after the first element. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
numbers = (3<\/span>,)\nprint(type(numbers))<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
<class<\/span> 'tuple<\/span>'><\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
numbers = (3<\/span>)\nprint(type(numbers))<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
<class<\/span> 'int<\/span>'><\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Assigning a tuple #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Even though you can’t change a tuple, you can assign a new tuple to a variable<\/a> that references<\/a> a tuple. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
colors = ('red'<\/span>, 'green'<\/span>, 'blue'<\/span>)\nprint(colors)\n\ncolors = ('Cyan'<\/span>, 'Magenta'<\/span>, 'Yellow'<\/span>, 'black'<\/span>)\nprint(colors)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
('red'<\/span>, 'green'<\/span>, 'blue'<\/span>)\n('Cyan'<\/span>, 'Magenta'<\/span>, 'Yellow'<\/span>, 'black'<\/span>)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Summary #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you exclude the trailing comma, the type of the numbers<\/code> will be int<\/code> , which stands for integer<\/a>. And its value is 3. Python won’t create a tuple that includes the number 3:<\/p>\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n