PROGRAMMING IN PYTHON
Tuples are a powerful type of Python, but named tuples are even more so!
The three most popular Python data types are list, dictionary, and tuple. Lists and dictionaries are mutable, meaning that their elements can be modified after they are created. Tuples, on the other hand, are immutable, so they cannot be changed after they are created. If you need to modify the content of a tuple, you must create a new instance with the desired changes and assign it to the same variable.
This article focuses on Python named tuples, a specialized type of tuple that combines the power of regular tuples with the added flexibility of named fields. Compared with regular tuples, named tuples can make the code simpler, more readable and maintainable, and even more pythonic. However, you should be careful, as sometimes excessive use of named tuples can inadvertently reduce the readability of your code instead of improving it.
Read on for more information!
To understand named tuples, you must first understand regular Python tuples. If you are not familiar with them, I highly recommend that you first read the following two articles on this type of data:
The great thing about named tuples is that they work like normal tuples: anything that works for a normal tuple will work for a named tuple. But that's not all, as named tuples offer additional features, hence the nickname “tuple+”. Therefore, I will assume that you are familiar with the key concepts covered in these two previous articles and we will focus on the advantages of named tuples.
First of all, note that all tuples are immutable. You may find it easy to forget this crucial feature when you start…
