---
id: recordtype
version: "1.4"
license: Apache License Version 2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# recordtype — Similar to namedtuple, but instances are mutable.

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 93.0K/mo

## What it is and what it does

recordtype is a factory function that generates mutable record classes—similar to collections.namedtuple but with write support and flexible default-value handling. Unlike namedtuple, instances are fully mutable, and you can specify per-field defaults, a global default for all unspecified fields, or both. It depends only on six and generates pure Python classes with introspection members like _fields, _asdict(), and _source.

The package is production-stable but abandoned; its author explicitly recommends that Python 3.7+ users use dataclasses instead, and points to namedlist and attrs as better-maintained alternatives. It remains useful for legacy codebases or Python 2 compatibility, but new projects should consider those alternatives.

Use it for:

- Migrating from namedtuple to a mutable variant when you need to modify field values after instantiation.
- Creating lightweight data containers with sensible field defaults to reduce boilerplate initialization code.
- Supporting Python 2.6+ codebases that predate dataclasses and need a simple mutable record type.
- Building configuration or state objects where fields have meaningful defaults and occasional mutation is expected.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

recordtype creates mutable record classes with optional per-field and global default values, similar to namedtuple but with write support and configurable defaults.

No, unless you are maintaining legacy Python 2 code or a codebase already using recordtype. For new projects on Python 3.7+, use dataclasses; for more advanced use cases, use attrs or namedlist. The package is abandoned and its author recommends against it.

## Install

pip install recordtype
uv add recordtype
poetry add recordtype

## Installing recordtype

Before you install: Low install friction with a single pure-Python dependency (six). However, the package is abandoned as of 1422 days since its last release; the author explicitly recommends Python 3.7+ users switch to dataclasses, and points to namedlist and attrs as better-maintained alternatives.

License in practice: Licensed under Apache License Version 2.0 (permissive). You can use, modify, and distribute recordtype freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

from recordtype import recordtype

Point = recordtype('Point', [('x', 0), ('y', 0)])
p = Point()
p.x = 5
print(p.x, p.y)  # 5 0

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works reliably on Python 3.10+ despite the last update being in 2022.
- Performance characteristics compared to dataclasses or attrs in modern Python versions.
- Whether the mutable-default-value warning mentioned in the changelog is still active.

## Package facts

- License: Apache License Version 2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 93.0K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

mutable namedtuple, record type with defaults, mutable data structure, field defaults factory, namedtuple alternative, writable tuple-like class, structured data with mutations, legacy, data-structure

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