How to Implement Pairs or 2-Tuples in Java?

Working with Pairs or 2-Tuples in Java

Enhancements to Java's Hashtable often call for a value structure that incorporates a tuple. This question explores data structures that can be leveraged in Java to achieve this functionality.

Solution

Java does not natively provide a general-purpose tuple class. However, creating a custom tuple class is straightforward:

public class Tuple<X, Y> { 
  public final X x; 
  public final Y y; 
  public Tuple(X x, Y y) { 
    this.x = x; 
    this.y = y; 
  } 
} 

This custom class offers two final members, x and y, which represent the two elements of the tuple. Instantiation is simple, as demonstrated in the constructor.

Considerations

When designing a tuple class, several important considerations come into play:

• Equality: Defining the equality semantics of the tuple is crucial, especially if instances will be used as hashing keys.
• Immutability: Consider making the tuple immutable to ensure data integrity.
• Generic Types: The generic type parameters allow for flexibility in the types of elements the tuple can hold.

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