NamedTuple in Python

A named tuple in Python is a subclass of a regular tuple that has named fields, making it more self-documenting and easier to work with than plain tuples. Named tuples are part of the collections module in Python and provide a way to define simple classes for storing structured data without the overhead of defining a full-fledged class using the class keyword.

Here’s how you can create and use named tuples in Python:

1. Import the namedtuple function: Start by importing the namedtuple function from the collections module.

   from collections import namedtuple

2. Create a named tuple class: Use the namedtuple() function to define a named tuple class. You provide a name for the named tuple type and a list of field names as a string or as an iterable.

   # Define a named tuple class called "Person" with fields: "name", "age", and "city"
   Person = namedtuple("Person", ["name", "age", "city"])

3. Create instances of the named tuple: You can create instances of the named tuple class like you would with regular classes.

   # Create instances of the Person named tuple
   person1 = Person("Alice", 30, "New York")
   person2 = Person("Bob", 25, "San Francisco")

4. Access fields by name: Named tuple instances allow you to access their fields using dot notation by field name.

   print(person1.name)  # Output: "Alice"
   print(person2.age)   # Output: 25

5. Immutable: Named tuples are immutable, which means their values cannot be changed after creation. To modify a named tuple, you create a new one with the desired changes.

   # Create a new Person named tuple with a different age
   person1 = person1._replace(age=31)

6. Additional methods: Named tuples provide useful methods like _asdict() to convert the named tuple to a dictionary and _replace() to create a new named tuple with specified field values replaced.

   person_dict = person1._asdict()
   new_person = person1._replace(age=32)

Named tuples are particularly useful when you need to represent structured data records or small, immutable objects with named fields. They provide better readability and self-documentation compared to plain tuples or dictionaries.