Declaring and Using Enums

public enum OrderStatus { PENDING, SHIPPED, DELIVERED, CANCELLED }

1. public enum OrderStatus { PENDING, SHIPPED, DELIVERED, CANCELLED } — the enum keyword defines a brand-new type, OrderStatus, whose only valid values are the four names inside the braces.

By convention, enum values are written in ALL_CAPS, similar to the constants from Module 3. The leading public is an access modifier — it's covered in full once Module 10 teaches classes; for now, just include it exactly as shown.

OrderStatus currentStatus = OrderStatus.PENDING;
System.debug(currentStatus); // PENDING

Boolean isStillPending = currentStatus == OrderStatus.PENDING;
System.debug(isStillPending); // true

1. OrderStatus currentStatus = OrderStatus.PENDING; — declares a variable of the new OrderStatus type. Values are always accessed with the enum's name first — OrderStatus.PENDING, never just PENDING on its own.
2. System.debug(currentStatus); — logs currentStatus, printing PENDING.
3. (blank line)
4. Boolean isStillPending = currentStatus == OrderStatus.PENDING; — compares with the same == you already know from Module 4, producing a plain Boolean.
5. System.debug(isStillPending); — logs true, since currentStatus genuinely is OrderStatus.PENDING.

public enum CasePriority { LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, CRITICAL }

CasePriority ticketPriority = CasePriority.HIGH;
Boolean needsImmediateAttention = ticketPriority == CasePriority.CRITICAL;

1. public enum CasePriority { LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, CRITICAL } — defines the fixed set of priority levels.
2. (blank line)
3. CasePriority ticketPriority = CasePriority.HIGH; — this ticket's current priority.
4. Boolean needsImmediateAttention = ticketPriority == CasePriority.CRITICAL; — false, since HIGH isn't CRITICAL — a strict equality check, not "high enough."

A support ticket's priority is exactly the kind of small, fixed set an enum protects — no risk of a rogue 'urgent' or 'Hi-priority' string sneaking past validation.

• Forgetting the enum name when referencing a value. currentStatus == PENDING won't compile — it must be currentStatus == OrderStatus.PENDING.
• Trying to add a value that isn\'t in the list. OrderStatus.REFUNDED doesn\'t exist unless it was added to the enum's declaration — this is the whole point, not a limitation.