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Introduction

NamedTuple is a convenient and versatile feature in Python's typing module that allows you to define simple classes with named fields, similar to tuples or records. It provides a structured way to create data containers with named attributes, while still maintaining immutability. This guide will cover various use cases of NamedTuple and provide walkthroughs for each scenario.

Overview of NamedTuple

NamedTuple is a subclass of the built-in tuple type, but it adds named fields. It can be imported from the typing module:

from typing import NamedTuple

NamedTuple can be used to create data classes that are lightweight, memory-efficient, and provide attribute-based access like regular classes. It's particularly useful when you need to define a simple data structure without the complexity of a full class definition.

Basic Usage

Here's how you define a NamedTuple:

from typing import NamedTuple

class Point(NamedTuple):
    x: float
    y: float

You can create instances of this Point NamedTuple just like you would with regular classes:

p = Point(1.0, 2.0)
print(p.x, p.y)  # Output: 1.0 2.0

Use Cases and Walkthroughs

  1. Data Container

    NamedTuple can be used to define simple data containers, similar to records in other programming languages.

    class Person(NamedTuple):
    name: str
    age: int

person = Person(name="Alice", age=30)
print(person.name, person.age)  # Output: Alice 30

  2. Configuration Settings

    You can use NamedTuple to define configurations for your applications.

    class AppConfig(NamedTuple):
    app_name: str
    debug_mode: bool

config = AppConfig(app_name="MyApp", debug_mode=True)
print(config.app_name, config.debug_mode)  # Output: MyApp True