How to Retrieve PreparedStatement Results into Tuples in Java 8 Without Using EntityManager

If you’re working with Java and databases, chances are you’ve encountered PreparedStatement — a safe and efficient way to run SQL queries. But what if you want to group each row of results into a nice, reusable object like a Tuple, especially when you’re not using advanced tools like JPA or EntityManager?

In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll show you how to:

• Run SQL queries using PreparedStatement
• Define your own simple Tuple class in Java 8
• Store and print the results cleanly
• Do all of this without any JPA, Hibernate, or EntityManager

What is a Tuple in Java?

In languages like Python or Scala, a Tuple is a simple object that groups together multiple values. Java doesn’t have built-in Tuple support, but you can easily mimic this behavior by creating a custom class.

Example:

public class MyTuple<T1, T2> {
    private T1 item1;
    private T2 item2;

    public MyTuple(T1 item1, T2 item2) {
        this.item1 = item1;
        this.item2 = item2;
    }

    public T1 getItem1() { return item1; }
    public T2 getItem2() { return item2; }
}

This class can store a pair of values from each database row.

Prerequisites

• Java 8+
• Basic knowledge of JDBC (Java Database Connectivity)
• A database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, etc.)
• JDBC driver configured in your project

Step-by-Step Guide: Fetching Data into Tuples Using PreparedStatement

✅ Step 1: Setup Your JDBC Connection

Replace the placeholders with your actual database information.

String url = "jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/yourdb";
String username = "yourusername";
String password = "yourpassword";

✅ Step 2: Write Your Tuple Class

Here’s a basic version that holds two values:

public class MyTuple<T1, T2> {
    private T1 item1;
    private T2 item2;

    public MyTuple(T1 item1, T2 item2) {
        this.item1 = item1;
        this.item2 = item2;
    }

    public T1 getItem1() { return item1; }
    public T2 getItem2() { return item2; }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return "(" + item1 + ", " + item2 + ")";
    }
}

You can extend it to hold more fields as needed.

✅ Step 3: Execute Query Using PreparedStatement

Now, let’s write the full working example that runs a query and stores each row into a MyTuple.

import java.sql.*;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

public class TupleExample {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String url = "jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/yourdb";
        String username = "yourusername";
        String password = "yourpassword";
        String query = "SELECT column1, column2 FROM yourtable";

        try (Connection conn = DriverManager.getConnection(url, username, password);
             PreparedStatement stmt = conn.prepareStatement(query)) {

            ResultSet rs = stmt.executeQuery();
            List<MyTuple<String, String>> results = new ArrayList<>();

            while (rs.next()) {
                MyTuple<String, String> tuple = new MyTuple<>(
                    rs.getString("column1"),
                    rs.getString("column2")
                );
                results.add(tuple);
            }

            // Display the results
            for (MyTuple<String, String> tuple : results) {
                System.out.println(tuple);
            }

        } catch (SQLException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

📝 Make sure the column names in rs.getString("column1") match the ones in your actual database table.

Advantages of Using a Custom Tuple Class

• ✅ Keeps code clean and readable
• ✅ Avoids dependency on JPA or other frameworks
• ✅ Helps beginners understand data mapping
• ✅ Easily extendable to hold 3 or more fields

Final Thoughts

You don’t need complex frameworks to write clean and maintainable database code in Java. By using a simple PreparedStatement and a custom Tuple class, you can build lightweight, object-oriented database access — perfect for small projects, performance-sensitive applications, or just learning how things work under the hood.

What’s Next?

• Try modifying MyTuple to hold three or more fields
• Add type-safe generic support or use third-party tuple libraries
• Extend to support filtering or sorting results after retrieval

Share It!

If this guide helped you, feel free to share it on LinkedIn, Twitter, or your developer group.