Python tuples are used in both ways. Even in Haskell, though, people often write all kinds of type-class magic to allow "iterating" over a tuple. For example,

Python tuples are used in both ways. Even in Haskell, though, people often write all kinds of type-class magic to allow "iterating" over a tuple. For example, a Binary instance over a tuple wants to call "put" on each element. Haskell's (Oleg's) HList is basically a tuple with iteration/list-like operations.