In computer programming, an enumerated type (also called enumeration or enum, or factor in the R programming language, and a categorical variable in statistics) is a data type consisting of a set of named values called elements, members, enumeral, or enumerators of the type. The enumerator names are usually identifiers that behave as constants in the language. A variable that has been declared as having an enumerated type can be assigned any of the enumerators as a value. In other words, an enumerated type has values that are different from each other, and that can be compared and assigned, but which are not specified by the programmer as having any particular concrete representation in the computer’s memory; compilers and interpreters can represent them arbitrarily. – Enumerated type - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Because it is safer and less scary than using constants. Don’t trust me? Let see at this code:
<?php
class MyBoolean
{
const MY_TRUE = 1;
const MY_FALSE = 2;
}
function isTrue($myBoolean)
{
switch($myBoolean) {
case MyBoolean::MY_TRUE:
return true;
case MyBoolean::MY_FALSE:
return false;
}
}
isTrue(MyBoolean::MY_TRUE); // returns true - OK
isTrue(MyBoolean::MY_FALSE); // returns false - OK
isTrue(1); // returns true - OK
isTrue(2); // returns false - scary, but OK
isTrue(true); // returns true - OK
isTrue(false); // returns null - WTF?
And now the same code with Enum instead of Constants:
<?php
class MyBoolean extends \PetrKnap\Php\Enum\Enum
{
use \PetrKnap\Php\Enum\ConstantsAsMembers;
const MY_TRUE = 1;
const MY_FALSE = 2;
}
function isTrue(MyBoolean $myBoolean)
{
switch($myBoolean) {
case MyBoolean::MY_TRUE():
return true;
case MyBoolean::MY_FALSE():
return false;
}
}
isTrue(MyBoolean::MY_TRUE()); // returns true - OK
isTrue(MyBoolean::MY_FALSE()); // returns false - OK
isTrue(1); // uncaught type error - OK
isTrue(2); // uncaught type error - OK
isTrue(true); // uncaught type error - OK
isTrue(false); // uncaught type error - OK
<?php
class DayOfWeek extends \PetrKnap\Php\Enum\Enum
{
use \PetrKnap\Php\Enum\ConstantsAsMembers;
const SUNDAY = 0;
const MONDAY = 1;
const TUESDAY = 2;
const WEDNESDAY = 3;
const THURSDAY = 4;
const FRIDAY = 5;
const SATURDAY = 6;
}
<?php
if (DayOfWeek::FRIDAY() == DayOfWeek::FRIDAY()) {
echo "This is OK.";
}
if (DayOfWeek::FRIDAY() == DayOfWeek::MONDAY()) {
echo "We are going to Hell!";
}
function isWeekend(DayOfWeek $dayOfWeek)
{
switch ($dayOfWeek) {
case DayOfWeek::SATURDAY():
case DayOfWeek::SUNDAY():
return true;
default:
return false;
}
}
if (date('w') == DayOfWeek::FRIDAY()->getValue()) {
echo "Finally it is Friday!";
}
// or
if (DayOfWeek::getEnumByValue(date('w')) == DayOfWeek::FRIDAY()) {
echo "Finally it is Friday!";
}
Enum is capable to carry any data type as values, including another enum instance.
<?php
class MixedValues extends \PetrKnap\Php\Enum\Enum
{
protected function members()
{
return [
"null" => null,
"boolean" => true,
"integer" => 1,
"float" => 1.0,
"string" => "s",
"array" => [],
"object" => new \stdClass(),
"callable" => function() {}
];
}
}
You can simply convert value to Enum instance and vice versa.
<?php
/**
* @ORM\Entity
*/
class MyEntity
{
/**
* @ORM\Column(type="integer")
* @var int
*/
private $dayOfWeek;
/**
* @return DayOfWeek
*/
public function getDayOfWeek()
{
return DayOfWeek::getEnumByValue($this->dayOfWeek);
}
/**
* @param DayOfWeek $dayOfWeek
*/
public function setDayOfWeek(DayOfWeek $dayOfWeek)
{
$this->dayOfWeek = $dayOfWeek->getValue();
}
}
Run composer require petrknap/php-enum or merge this JSON code with your project composer.json file manually and run composer install. Instead of dev-master you can use one of released versions.
{
"require": {
"petrknap/php-enum": "dev-master"
}
}
Or manually clone this repository via git clone https://github.com/petrknap/php-enum.git or download this repository as ZIP and extract files into your project.