Since Python tuples are immutable objects, they're another excellent example of objects suitable for functional programming. A Python tuple has very few method functions, so almost everything is done using prefix syntax. There are a number of use cases for tuples, particularly when working with list-of-tuple, tuple-of-tuple, and generator-of-tuple constructs.
The namedtuple class adds an essential feature to a tuple: a name that we can use instead of an index. We can exploit named tuples to create objects that are accretions of data. This allows us to write pure functions based on stateless objects, yet keep data bound into tidy object-like packages.
We'll almost always use tuples (and named tuples) in the context of a collection of values. If we're working with single values, or a tidy group of exactly two values, we'll usually use named parameters to a function. When working with collections, however, we may need to have iterable-of-tuples or iterable of the...