Java enum – why use toString instead of name

by

It really depends on what you want to do with the returned value:

  • If you need to get the exact name used to declare the enum constant, you should use name() as toString may have been overriden
  • If you want to print the enum constant in a user friendly way, you should use toString which may have been overriden (or not!).

When I feel that it might be confusing, I provide a more specific getXXX method, for example:

public enum Fields {
    LAST_NAME("Last Name"), FIRST_NAME("First Name");

    private final String fieldDescription;

    private Fields(String value) {
        fieldDescription = value;
    }

    public String getFieldDescription() {
        return fieldDescription;
    }
}

More Related Contents:

  1. What are enums and why are they useful?
  2. Can enums be subclassed to add new elements?
  3. Can I add and remove elements of enumeration at runtime in Java
  4. Why can’t enum’s constructor access static fields?
  5. Where is the documentation for the values() method of Enum?
  6. Cast Int to enum in Java
  7. Best way to create enum of strings?
  8. Get enum by its inner field
  9. Can I get an enum based on the value of its field?
  10. Why use Enums instead of Constants? Which is better in terms of software design and readability
  11. Understanding Enums in Java
  12. Is it good practice to use ordinal of enum?
  13. Why can a enum have a package-private constructor?
  14. How to mock an enum singleton class using Mockito/Powermock?
  15. Why can’t enums be declared locally in a method?
  16. Why is default required for a switch on an enum?
  17. Should I strictly avoid using enums on Android?
  18. Can I set enum start value in Java?
  19. Java String validation using enum values and annotation
  20. Override valueof() and toString() in Java enum
  21. Pick a random value from an enum?
  22. Getting all names in an enum as a String[]
  23. Why can’t enum constructors be protected or public in Java?
  24. How can I reference my Java Enum without specifying its type
  25. How to get the enum type by its attribute?
  26. Java: Check if enum contains a given string?
  27. Using nested enum types in Java
  28. Can not compile enums in Eclipse
  29. How to enable enum inheritance
  30. Why Java does not allow overriding equals(Object) in an Enum?

Leave a Comment