Beginner 15 min read

Declaring and Using Enums

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to:

  • Declare an enum with a list of values
  • Declare a variable of an enum type and assign it a value
  • Compare enum values using ==

Prerequisites: "What Is an Enum?"

Declaring an enum

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

This defines a brand-new type, OrderStatus, whose only valid values are the four listed. By convention, enum values are written in ALL_CAPS, similar to the constants from Module 3.

Using it

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

if (currentStatus == OrderStatus.PENDING) {
    System.debug('Order has not shipped yet.');
}

Values are always accessed with the enum's name first — OrderStatus.PENDING, never just PENDING on its own — and compared with the same == you already know from Module 4.

A real business example: Customer Support

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

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

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.

Common mistakes

  • 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.

Exercise

Declare an enum called LoanStatus with values SUBMITTED, UNDER_REVIEW, APPROVED, and REJECTED. Declare a variable of that type set to UNDER_REVIEW, and debug whether it equals APPROVED.

Show hint

public enum LoanStatus { SUBMITTED, UNDER_REVIEW, APPROVED, REJECTED }

APEX

Declaring and Using Enums Quiz

1. How do you reference a specific enum value?

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Summary

Declaring an enum is a one-line statement naming its allowed values; using one looks and feels just like working with any other typed variable, complete with == comparisons.

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