,"config_flag_value":""},{"config_name":"focusMode","isVisible":true,"config_flag_value":""},{"config_name":"deleteAccount","isVisible":true,"config_flag_value":""},{"config_name":"new_checkout","isVisible":false,"config_flag_value":""}],"children":"$2:props:children:1:props:children:0:props:fallback:props:children"}] 1b:Teeb,

Java Enum Strings

Before learning about Enum Strings, you must be familiar with Enums in Java. Enums are special data types that represent a fixed set of constants. Each constant in an enum is implicitly public, static, and final.

What are String Enums?

String enums are similar to numeric enums, except that their values are associated with String values instead of numbers. Using string enums has two major benefits:

Readability: String values are easier to understand than numeric codes.

Debugging: String values are easier to trace and debug compared to numbers.

Converting Enum to String

In Java, there are two common ways to convert an enum to a string:

name() method: This is an implicit method available to all enums. It returns the exact name of the enum constant as defined.

toString() method: This returns the string representation of the enum constant. By default, it behaves the same as name(), but it can be overridden for customization.

Example with `name()` and `toString()`


enum Role {
    TEACHER,
    STUDENT
}

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Role r1 = Role.TEACHER;
        Role r2 = Role.STUDENT;

        // Using name()
        System.out.println("Using name(): " + r1.name());
        System.out.println("Using name(): " + r2.name());

        // Using toString()
        System.out.println("Using toString(): " + r1.toString());
        System.out.println("Using toString(): " + r2.toString());
    }
}

Output:


Using name(): TEACHER
Using name(): STUDENT
Using toString(): TEACHER
Using toString(): STUDENT

Changing the String Value of Enum

We cannot modify the value returned by name() since it is final. However, we can override the toString() method to provide custom string values.

Example: Overriding `toString()`


enum Role {
    TEACHER {
        @Override
        public String toString() {
            return "This is a Teacher role";
        }
    },
    STUDENT {
        @Override
        public String toString() {
            return "This is a Student role";
        }
    }
}

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Role r1 = Role.TEACHER;
        Role r2 = Role.STUDENT;

        // Custom string values using overridden toString()
        System.out.println(r1); // Output: This is a Teacher role
        System.out.println(r2); // Output: This is a Student role
    }
}

Key Points

name() is final and cannot be overridden.

toString() can be overridden to provide custom string representations.

String enums improve readability and make debugging easier compared to numeric enums.

Enums can encapsulate both data (like string values) and behavior (methods).

Summary

Java enums allow string representations through name() and toString(). While name() always returns the exact identifier of the enum constant, toString() can be customized to return more descriptive or user-friendly strings. This makes enums versatile and useful for scenarios where both fixed constants