Tuple¶
A tuple is a fixed-size, ordered collection of values, where each position may hold a different type, and the type of the whole tuple is the sequence of its element types, such as Rust’s (i32, String, bool) or Python’s (1, 'a', True). Unlike an array or a list, a tuple’s length and per-position types are fixed at compile time, and are checked by the type system.
Tuples are typically used for lightweight, unnamed grouping of a small number of related values, such as returning two values from a function without declaring a struct or class for the purpose.
PHP has no native, typed tuple. A plain indexed array can hold mixed values at fixed positions, and list assignment [$a, $b] = $pair; can destructure it, but the array’s size and per-position types are not tracked or enforced anywhere; array{int, string, bool} shapes exist only as PHPDoc annotations understood by static analyzers, not by the engine.
<?php
// Untyped and unchecked: any size, any types, at any position.
$pair = [1, 'a'];
[$number, $letter] = $pair;
?>
See also Tuple in Wikipedia.
Related : List, Array, [], Record Type, Struct Type, Multiple Return Values
