C# Tuple

Last Updated : 15 Jan, 2025

A tuple is a data structure which consists of multiple parts. It is the easiest way to represent a data set which has multiple values of different types. It was introduced in .NET Framework 4.0. In a tuple, we can add elements from 1 to 8. If try to add elements greater than eight, then the compiler will throw an error. Tuples are generally used when we want to create a data structure which contains objects with their properties and don’t want to create a separate type for that.

Features of Tuples

It allows us to represent multiple data into a single data set.
It allows us to create, manipulate, and access data sets.
It returns multiple values from a method without using out parameter.
It can also store duplicate elements.
It allows us to pass multiple values to a method with the help of single parameters.

Example:

// Example of Tuple using System;  public class Geeks {   	// Main Method      static public void Main()     {       	// Creating a Tuple         var tuple = (123, "Hello", true);                	// Accessing the Elements       	Console.WriteLine(tuple.Item1);          Console.WriteLine(tuple.Item2);          Console.WriteLine(tuple.Item3);      } }

Output

123 Hello True

Before tuples, we have three ways to return more than one value from the method in C# which are Using Class or Struct types, Out parameters and Anonymous types which are returned through a Dynamic Return Type. But after Tuples, it becomes easy to represent a single set of data. There is no need to create any separate data structure. Instead, for this.

Creating Tuple

In C#, there are mainly 2 ways to create the tuple

Using Constructor
Using Create Method

1. Using Constructor

We can create a tuple by using the constructor of the tuple using the tuple<T> class. Where we can store elements starting from one to eight. If we try to add more than 8 compiler will throw an error.

Syntax:

/ Constructor for single elements
Tuple <T1>(T1)

// Constructor for two elements
Tuple <T1, T2>(T1, T2)
.
.
 // Constructor for eight elements
Tuple <T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, TRest>(T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, TRest)

Example:

// Using tuple constructor using System;  public class Geeks { 	static public void Main() 	{ 		// Tuple with one element 		Tuple<string> t1 = new Tuple<string>("GeeksforGeeks");  		// Tuple with three elements 		Tuple<string, string, int> t2 = new Tuple<string, string, int>("C#", "Python", 29);  		// Tuple with eight elements 		Tuple<int, int, int, int, int, int, int, Tuple<int>> t3 = 		new Tuple<int, int, int, int, int, int, int, Tuple<int>>(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, new Tuple<int>(8));  		Console.WriteLine(t1.Item1); 		Console.WriteLine(t2.Item1); 		Console.WriteLine(t3.Item1); 	} }

Output

GeeksforGeeks C# 1

2. Using the Create Method

When we use the tuple constructor to create a tuple we need to provide the type of each element stored in the tuple which makes your code cumbersome. So, C# provides another class that is Tuple class which contains the static methods for creating tuple objects without providing the type of each element.

Syntax:

// Method for 1-tuple
Create(T1)

// Method for 2-tuple
Create(T1, T2)
.
.
// Method for 8-tuple
Create(T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8)

Example:

// Create tuple using tuple constructor using System;  public class Geeks  {     // Main method     static public void Main()     {         // Creating 1-tuple         // Using Create Method         var t1 = Tuple.Create("GeeksforGeeks");          // Creating 4-tuple         // Using Create Method         var t2 = Tuple.Create("C#", "Python", 29);          // Creating 8-tuple         // Using Create Method         var t3 = Tuple.Create(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8);              	Console.WriteLine(t1.Item1); 		Console.WriteLine(t2.Item1); 		Console.WriteLine(t3.Item1);     } }

Output

GeeksforGeeks C# 1

Accessing a Tuple

We can access the elements of a tuple by using the Item<elementNumber> property, here elementNumber is from 1 to 7 like Item1, Item 2, Item3, Item4, Item5, Item6, Item 7, etc. and the last element of 8-tuple is accessible by using Rest property as shown in the below example:

Example:

// Accessing the tuple  // using Item and Rest property using System;  public class Geeks { 	static public void Main() 	{  		var t1 = Tuple.Create("GeeksforGeeks");  		Console.WriteLine("1st element of t1 : " + t1.Item1); 		Console.WriteLine();  		// Creating 4-tuple 		// Using Create Method 		var t2 = Tuple.Create(12, 30, 40, 50);  		// Accessing the element of Tuple 		// Using Item property 		Console.WriteLine("1st element of t2: " + t2.Item1); 		Console.WriteLine();  		// Creating 8-tuple 		// Using Create Method 		var t3 = Tuple.Create(13, "Geeks", 			  67, 89.90, 'g', 39939, "geek", 10);  		// Accessing the element of Tuple 		// Using Item property 		// And print the 8th element of tuple 		// using Rest property 		Console.WriteLine("1st element of t3: " + t3.Item1); 		Console.WriteLine("2nd lement of t3: " + t3.Item2); 		Console.WriteLine("8th element of t3: " + t3.Rest); 	} }

Output

1st element of t1 : GeeksforGeeks  1st element of t2: 12  1st element of t3: 13 2nd lement of t3: Geeks 8th element of t3: (10)

Nested Tuples

In C#, we can create a tuple into another tuple we use nested tuples when you want to add more than eight elements in the same tuple. The nested tuple is accessible by using the Rest property as shown below example. We can add a nested tuple anywhere in the sequence, but it is recommended that place a nested tuple at the end of the sequence so that they can easily access from the Rest property.

Example 1:

// Illustration of nested tuple using System;  public class Geeks { 	static public void Main() 	{ 		// Nested Tuple 		var My_Tuple = Tuple.Create(13, "Geeks", 67, 89.90, 	   'g', 39939, "geek", Tuple.Create(12, 30, 40, 50)); 		 		Console.WriteLine("Element of My_Tuple: " + My_Tuple.Item1); 		Console.WriteLine("Element of My_Tuple: " + My_Tuple.Item2);                // Accessing nested touple using rest property 		Console.WriteLine("Element of Nested tuple: " + My_Tuple.Rest); 		Console.WriteLine("Element of Nested tuple: " + My_Tuple.Rest.Item1.Item1); 	} }

Output

Element of My_Tuple: 13 Element of My_Tuple: Geeks Element of Nested tuple: ((12, 30, 40, 50)) Element of Nested tuple: 12

Example 2: Accessing nested tuple other than the last place

// C# program to illustrate nested tuple using System;  public class Geeks { 	static public void Main() 	{ 		// Nested Tuple 		// Here nested tuple is present  		// at the place of 2nd element 		var My_Tuple = Tuple.Create(13, Tuple.Create(12, 30, 40, 	    50), 67, 89.90, 'g', 39939, 123, "geeks");  		// Accessing nested Tuple 		// at 2nd position 		Console.WriteLine("1st element of tuple: " + My_Tuple.Item1); 		Console.WriteLine("1st Element of Nested Tuple: " + My_Tuple.Item2.Item1); 		Console.WriteLine("2nd Element of Nested Tuple: " + My_Tuple.Item2.Item2); 		Console.WriteLine("3rd Element of Nested Tuple: " + My_Tuple.Item2.Item3); 		Console.WriteLine("4th Element of Nested Tuple: " + My_Tuple.Item2.Item4); 	} }

Output

1st element of tuple: 13 1st Element of Nested Tuple: 12 2nd Element of Nested Tuple: 30 3rd Element of Nested Tuple: 40 4th Element of Nested Tuple: 50

Tuple as a Method Parameter

In C#, we are allowed to pass a tuple as a method parameter as shown in the below example. Here we pass a tuple named mytuple in the PrintTheTuple() method and the elements of the tuple are accessed by using the Item<elementNumber> property.

Example:

// Tuple as a method parameter. using System;  public class Geeks { 	static public void Main() 	{ 		// Creating a tuple  		var mytuple = Tuple.Create("GeeksforGeeks", 123, 90.8);  		// Pass the tuple in the 		// PrintTheTuple method 		PrintTheTuple(mytuple); 	}  	static void PrintTheTuple(Tuple<string, int, double> mytuple) 	{ 		Console.WriteLine("Element: " + mytuple.Item1); 		Console.WriteLine("Element: " + mytuple.Item2); 		Console.WriteLine("Element: " + mytuple.Item3); 	} }

Output

Element: GeeksforGeeks Element: 123 Element: 90.8

Tuple as a Return Type

In C#, methods are allowed to use a tuple as a return type. In other words, a method can return a tuple as shown in the below example:

Example:

// C# program to illustrate  // how a method return tuple using System;  public class Geeks { 	static public void Main() 	{ 		// Return tuple is stored in mytuple 		var mytuple = PrintTuple(); 		Console.WriteLine(mytuple.Item1); 		Console.WriteLine(mytuple.Item2); 		Console.WriteLine(mytuple.Item3); 	}  	// PrintTuple method return a tuple  	static Tuple<string, string, string> PrintTuple() 	{ 		return Tuple.Create("Geeks", "For", "Geeks"); 	} }

Output

Geeks For Geeks

Limitations of Tuple

It is of reference type not of value type.
It is limited to eight elements. This means you cannot store more than eight elements without a nested tuple.
These are only accessed by using the Item<elementNumber> property.

C# Tuple Class

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Article Tags :

C# Tuple

Features of Tuples

Creating Tuple

1. Using Constructor

2. Using the Create Method

Accessing a Tuple

Nested Tuples

Tuple as a Method Parameter

Tuple as a Return Type

Limitations of Tuple

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