Tuple
A tuple is a single row or record in a database table, representing one item in a collection.
In databases, a tuple is like a single line in a spreadsheet. Each line holds information about one specific thing, like a person or a product.
For example, if you have a table of users, each row (or tuple) would contain the details for one user, such as their name, email, and signup date.
In the context of relational databases, a tuple is a single record or row within a table. It is an ordered set of attribute values that describes a single entity. For instance, in a table of customers, a tuple might contain the customer ID, name, address, and phone number.
OpenAI's use of tuples in scaling their PostgreSQL database highlights the fundamental data structures needed to manage massive user bases. Efficiently storing and retrieving user data, represented as tuples, is critical for large-scale AI services.
- Scaling PostgreSQL to power 800 million ChatGPT usersOpenAI · OpenAI News ·
- OpenAI ChatGPT
- OpenAI uses tuples as fundamental records within the PostgreSQL database that powers their ChatGPT service.
- Tuple (Python)
- A tuple in Python is an immutable ordered sequence of elements,
The term 'tuple' in the context of relational databases was introduced by Edgar F. Codd in his foundational paper on the relational model. Source ↗
You can see tuples in action by creating a simple table in a spreadsheet program like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel. Enter data for a few items, and each row you fill in is a tuple.
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Questions people ask
- What is the difference between a tuple and a record?
- In database terms, 'tuple' and 'record' are often used interchangeably to mean a single row of data in a table.
- Is a tuple the same as a row?
- Yes, in the context of relational databases, a tuple is synonymous with a row in a table.
First seen on Subvolts Jan 22, 2026. Updated Sep 15, 2026. Written by an AI model from the items above and reviewed against them weekly; report an error.