57

I've read a lot about how obtain the corresponding name of an enum from its value using java, but no example seems to work for me! What is wrong?

public class Extensions {


    public enum RelationActiveEnum
    {
        Invited(0),
        Active(1),
        Suspended(2);

        private final int value;

        private RelationActiveEnum(final int value) {
            this.value = value;
        }
    }

}

and in another class I use:

        int dbValue = supp.ACTIVE;
        Extensions.RelationActiveEnum enumValue(dbValue);
        String stringName = enumValue.toString(); //Visible
        // OR
        int dbValuee = supp.ACTIVE;
        String stringValue = Enum.GetName(typeof(RelationActiveEnum), dbValue);

I should work, right? but it doesn't!!!! it tells me that dbValue cannote be cast to RelationActiveEnum...

4
  • 2
    supp.ACTIVE or supp.Active? Commented Jan 14, 2013 at 13:27
  • 1
    Please confirm: you want to get the corresponding name of a given int value? I.e. 1 --> Active or Active --> 1? Commented Jan 14, 2013 at 13:28
  • it's supp.ACTIVE, a value that I take from the db, that can be 0,1 or 2... Yes, I searched for examples in java in the web, and I read something like what is posted here- Commented Jan 14, 2013 at 13:30
  • this is a possible dup of stackoverflow.com/questions/1080904/… Commented Jan 14, 2013 at 13:45

7 Answers 7

68

Say we have:

public enum MyEnum {
  Test1, Test2, Test3
}

To get the name of a enum variable use name():

MyEnum e = MyEnum.Test1;
String name = e.name(); // Returns "Test1"

To get the enum from a (string) name, use valueOf():

String name = "Test1";
MyEnum e = Enum.valueOf(MyEnum.class, name);

If you require integer values to match enum fields, extend the enum class:

public enum MyEnum {
  Test1(1), Test2(2), Test3(3);

  public final int value;

  MyEnum(final int value) {
     this.value = value;
  }
}

Now you can use:

MyEnum e = MyEnum.Test1;
int value = e.value; // = 1

And lookup the enum using the integer value:

MyEnum getValue(int value) {
  for(MyEnum e: MyEnum.values()) {
    if(e.value == value) {
      return e;
    }
  }
  return null;// not found
}
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1 Comment

I suggest to throw an exception in case value not found: InvalidArgumentException
46

Since your 'value' also happens to match with ordinals you could just do:

public enum RelationActiveEnum {
    Invited,
    Active,
    Suspended;

    private final int value;

    private RelationActiveEnum() {
        this.value = ordinal();
    }
}

And getting a enum from the value:

int value = 1;
RelationActiveEnum enumInstance = RelationActiveEnum.values()[value];

I guess an static method would be a good place to put this:

public enum RelationActiveEnum {
     public static RelationActiveEnum fromValue(int value) 
             throws IllegalArgumentException {
         try {
              return RelationActiveEnum.values()[value]
         } catch(ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e) {
              throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unknown enum value :"+ value);
         }
     }
}   

Obviously this all falls apart if your 'value' isn't the same value as the enum ordinal.

3 Comments

just mind the gap...if your value isn't the ordinal...do look at @PeterLawrey's answer and also do make it a static method on your enum in case you change your mind :)
Uncle Bob says that use ordinal is bad idea. I agreed with that.
@Piotr I'm would suspect Uncle was referring to passing around the ordinal and or persisting it, this is good advice.. use the name or some other identifier. But given the problem, this is how you solve it.
31

You could create a lookup method. Not the most efficient (depending on the enum's size) but it works.

public static String getNameByCode(int code){
  for(RelationActiveEnum e : RelationActiveEnum.values()){
    if(code == e.value) return e.name();
  }
  return null;
}

And call it like this:

RelationActiveEnum.getNameByCode(3);

2 Comments

Up vote because not always the position in the enum RelationActiveEnum.values()[value] means the value of it.
this could have performance issues, so I recommend this option
9

What you can do is

RelationActiveEnum ae = Enum.valueOf(RelationActiveEnum.class,
                                     RelationActiveEnum.ACTIVE.name();

or

RelationActiveEnum ae = RelationActiveEnum.valueOf(
                                     RelationActiveEnum.ACTIVE.name();

or

// not recommended as the ordinal might not match the value
RelationActiveEnum ae = RelationActiveEnum.values()[
                                     RelationActiveEnum.ACTIVE.value];

By if you want to lookup by a field of an enum you need to construct a collection such as a List, an array or a Map.

public enum RelationActiveEnum {
    Invited(0),
    Active(1),
    Suspended(2);

    private final int code;

    private RelationActiveEnum(final int code) {
        this.code = code;
    }

    private static final Map<Integer, RelationActiveEnum> BY_CODE_MAP = new LinkedHashMap<>();
    static {
        for (RelationActiveEnum rae : RelationActiveEnum.values()) {
            BY_CODE_MAP.put(rae.code, rae);
        }
    }

    public static RelationActiveEnum forCode(int code) {
        return BY_CODE_MAP.get(code);
    }
}

allows you to write

String name = RelationActiveEnum.forCode(RelationActiveEnum.ACTIVE.code).name();

2 Comments

Out of curiosity, why did you use a LinkedHashMap instead of just a HashMap ?
@mluisbrown I tend to use LinkedHashMap as it is easier to debug. When you add an entry it is always at the end when you print it. With HashMap esp a big HashMap you have no idea where it might go.
8

In my case value was not an integer but a String. getNameByCode method can be added to the enum to get name of a String value-

enum CODE {
    SUCCESS("SCS"), DELETE("DEL");

    private String status;

    /**
     * @return the status
     */
    public String getStatus() {
        return status;
    }

    /**
     * @param status
     *            the status to set
     */
    public void setStatus(String status) {
        this.status = status;
    }

    private CODE(String status) {
        this.status = status;
    }

    public static String getNameByCode(String code) {
        for (int i = 0; i < CODE.values().length; i++) {
            if (code.equals(CODE.values()[i].status))
                return CODE.values()[i].name();
        }
        return null;
    }

Comments

4

If you want something more efficient in runtime condition, you can have a map that contains every possible choice of the enum by their value. But it'll be juste slower at initialisation of the JVM.

import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

/**
 * Example of enum with a getter that need a value in parameter, and that return the Choice/Instance 
 * of the enum which has the same value.
 * The value of each choice can be random.
 */
public enum MyEnum {
    /** a random choice */
    Choice1(4),
    /** a nother one */
    Choice2(2),
    /** another one again */
    Choice3(9);
    /** a map that contains every choices of the enum ordered by their value. */
    private static final Map<Integer, MyEnum> MY_MAP = new HashMap<Integer, MyEnum>();
    static {
        // populating the map
        for (MyEnum myEnum : values()) {
            MY_MAP.put(myEnum.getValue(), myEnum);
        }
    }
    /** the value of the choice */
    private int value;

    /**
     * constructor
     * @param value the value
     */
    private MyEnum(int value) {
        this.value = value;
    }

    /**
     * getter of the value
     * @return int
     */
    public int getValue() {
        return value;
    }

    /**
     * Return one of the choice of the enum by its value.
     * May return null if there is no choice for this value.
     * @param value value
     * @return MyEnum
     */
    public static MyEnum getByValue(int value) {
        return MY_MAP.get(value);
    }

    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     * @see java.lang.Enum#toString()
     */
    public String toString() {
        return name() + "=" + value;
    }

    /**
     * Exemple of how to use this class.
     * @param args args
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        MyEnum enum1 = MyEnum.Choice1;
        System.out.println("enum1==>" + String.valueOf(enum1));
        MyEnum enum2GotByValue = MyEnum.getByValue(enum1.getValue());
        System.out.println("enum2GotByValue==>" + String.valueOf(enum2GotByValue));
        MyEnum enum3Unknown = MyEnum.getByValue(4);
        System.out.println("enum3Unknown==>" + String.valueOf(enum3Unknown));
    }
}

Comments

4

This is my take on it:

public enum LoginState { 
    LOGGED_IN(1), LOGGED_OUT(0), IN_TRANSACTION(-1);

    private int code;

    LoginState(int code) {
        this.code = code;
    }

    public int getCode() {
        return code;
    }

    public static LoginState getLoginStateFromCode(int code){
        for(LoginState e : LoginState.values()){
            if(code == e.code) return e;
        }
        return LoginState.LOGGED_OUT; //or null
    }
};

And I have used it with System Preferences in Android like so:

LoginState getLoginState(int i) {
    return LoginState.getLoginStateFromCode(
                prefs().getInt(SPK_IS_LOGIN, LoginState.LOGGED_OUT.getCode())
            );
}

public static void setLoginState(LoginState newLoginState) {
    editor().putInt(SPK_IS_LOGIN, newLoginState.getCode());
    editor().commit();
}

where pref and editor are SharedPreferences and a SharedPreferences.Editor

Comments

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