Java.lang.Enum Class in Java

Enum class is present in java.lang package. It is the common base class of all Java language enumeration types. For information about enums, refer enum in java

Class Declaration

public abstract class Enum<E extends Enum>
extends Object
implements Comparable, Serializable

As we can see, that Enum is an abstract class, so we can not create object of class Enum.

Methods in Enum Class

Enum class provides 10 useful methods. Most of them are overridden from Object class. These methods are declared as final in Enum class so the programmer cannot modify any of the enum constants.

1. final String name() : This method returns the name of this enum constant, which is exactly as declared in its enum declaration.

   Syntax : 
   public final String name()
   Parameters : 
   NA
   Returns :
   the name of this enum constant
   

   Java

   // Java program to demonstrate name() method
   enum Color
   {
       RED, GREEN, BLUE;
   }
    
   public class Test
   {
       // Driver method
       public static void main(String[] args)
       {
           Color c1 = Color.RED;
           System.out.print("Name of enum constant: ");
   
           // name method
           System.out.println(c1.name());
       }
   }
   

   Output:

   Name of enum constant: RED
   

2. final int ordinal() : This method returns index of this enumeration constant.

   Syntax : 
   public final int ordinal()
   Parameters : 
   NA
   Returns :
   the ordinal of this enumeration constant
   

   Java

   // Java program to demonstrate ordinal() method
   enum Color
   {
       RED, GREEN, BLUE;
   }
    
   public class Test
   {
       // Driver method
       public static void main(String[] args)
       {
           Color c1 = Color.GREEN;
           System.out.print("ordinal of enum constant "+c1.name()+" : ");
   
           // ordinal method
           System.out.println(c1.ordinal());
       }
   }
   

   Output:

   ordinal of enum constant GREEN : 1
   

3. String toString() : This method returns a String object representing this enumeration constant. This method is same as name() method.

   Syntax : 
   public String toString()
   Parameters : 
   NA
   Returns :
   a string representation of this enumeration constant
   Overrides :
   toString in class Object
   

   Java

   // Java program to demonstrate toString() method
   enum Color
   {
       RED, GREEN, BLUE;
   }
    
   public class Test
   {
       // Driver method
       public static void main(String[] args)
       {
           Color c1 = Color.GREEN;
           
           // getting string representation of enum
           // using toString() method
           String str = c1.toString();
           
           System.out.println(str);
       }
   }
   

   Output:

   GREEN
   

4. final boolean equals(Object obj) : This method returns true if the specified object is equal to this enum constant , otherwise return false.

   Syntax : 
   public final boolean equals(Object obj)
   Parameters : 
   obj - the object too be compared for equality with this enum.
   Returns :
   true if the specified object is equal to this enum constant. 
   false otherwise
   Overrides :
   equals in class Object
   

   Java

   // Java program to demonstrate equals() method
   enum Color
   {
       RED, GREEN, BLUE;
   }
    
   public class Test
   {
       // Driver method
       public static void main(String[] args)
       {
           Color c1 = Color.RED;
           Color c2 = Color.GREEN;
           Color c3 = Color.RED;
           
           // checking equality between enums
           // using equals() method
           
           boolean b1 = c1.equals(c2);
           boolean b2 = c1.equals(c3);
           boolean b3 = c2.equals(null);
           
           System.out.println("is c1 equal to c2 : " + b1);
           System.out.println("is c1 equal to c3 : " + b2);
           System.out.println("is c2 equal to null : " + b3);
       }
   }
   

   Output:

   is c1 equal to c2 : false
   is c1 equal to c3 : true
   is c2 equal to null : false
   

5. final int hashCode() : This method returns a hash code for this enum constant. Actually this method contains just one statement, that is "return super.hashCode()" , which in turn calling Object class hashCode() method.

   Syntax : 
   public final int hashCode()
   Parameters : 
   NA
   Returns :
   a hash code for this enum constant.
   Overrides :
   hashCode in class Object
   

   Java

   // Java program to demonstrate hashCode() method
   enum Color
   {
       RED, GREEN, BLUE;
   }
    
   public class Test
   {
       // Driver method
       public static void main(String[] args)
       {
           Color c1 = Color.RED;
           System.out.print("hashcode of enum constant "+ c1.name() +" : ");
   
           // hashcode method
           System.out.println(c1.hashCode());
           
           Color c2 = Color.GREEN;
           System.out.print("hashcode of enum constant "+ c2.name() +" : ");
   
           // hashcode method
           System.out.println(c2.hashCode());
       }
   }
   

   Output:

   hashcode of enum constant RED : 366712642
   hashcode of enum constant GREEN : 1829164700
   

6. final int compareTo(E obj) : This method "compares" this enum with the specified object for order. Enum constants are only comparable to other enum constants of the same enum type.

   Syntax : 
   public int compareTo(E obj)
   Parameters : 
   obj - the object to be compared.
   Returns :
   a negative integer if this object is at less ordinal than the specified object
   zero if this object is at equal ordinal than the specified object
   a positive integer if this object is at greater ordinal than the specified object
   Throws :
   NullPointerException - if the argument is null
   

   Java

   // Java program to demonstrate compareTo() method
   enum Color
   {
       RED, GREEN, BLUE;
   }
    
   public class Test
   {
       // Driver method
       public static void main(String[] args)
       {
           Color c1 = Color.RED;
           Color c2 = Color.GREEN;
           Color c3 = Color.RED;
           Color c4 = Color.BLUE;
           
           System.out.print("Comparing "+c1.name()+" with "+ c2.name() +" : ");
           
           // compareTo method
           System.out.println(c1.compareTo(c2));
           
           System.out.print("Comparing "+c1.name()+" with "+ c3.name() +" : ");
           
           // compareTo method
           System.out.println(c1.compareTo(c3));
           
           System.out.print("Comparing "+c4.name()+" with "+ c2.name() +" : ");
           
           // compareTo method
           System.out.println(c4.compareTo(c2));
           
           // The following statement throw NullPointerException
           // as argument of compareTo method is null
           // System.out.println(c4.compareTo(null));
          
       }
   }
   

   Output:

   Comparing RED with GREEN : -1
   Comparing RED with RED : 0
   Comparing BLUE with GREEN : 1
   

7. static <T extends Enum> T valueOf(Class enumType,String name) : This method returns the enum constant of the specified enum type with the specified name. The name must match exactly an identifier used to declare an enum constant in this type.

   Syntax : 
   public static <T extends Enum> T valueOf(Class enumType,String name)
   TypeParameters : 
   T - The enum type whose constant is to be returned
   Parameters : 
   enumType - the Class object of the enum type from which to return a constant
   name - the name of the constant to return
   Returns :
   the enum constant of the specified enum type with the specified name
   Throws :
   IllegalArgumentException - if the specified enum type has no 
   constant with the specified name or the specified class object
   does not represent an enum type
   NullPointerException - if enumType or name is null
   

   Java

   // Java program to demonstrate valueOf() method
   enum Color
   {
       RED, GREEN, BLUE;
   }
    
   public class Test
   {
       // Driver method
       public static void main(String[] args)
       {
           // getting value of enum with specified String
           // using valueOf method
           Color c1 = Color.valueOf("RED");
           Color c2 = Color.valueOf("GREEN");
           
           // name method
           System.out.println(c1.name());
           System.out.println(c2.name());
           
           // The following statement throw IllegalArgumentException
           // as GrEEN is not an enum constant
           //  Color c3 = Color.valueOf("GrEEN");
            
           // The following statement throw NullPointerException
           // as argument of valueOf method is null
          // Color c4 = Color.valueOf(null);
       }
   }
   

   Output:

   RED
   GREEN
   

8. final Class <E> getDeclaringClass() : This method returns the Class object corresponding to this enum constant's enum type. Any Two enum constants e1 and e2 are of the same enum type if this method returns the same Class object for both.

   Syntax : 
   public final Class <E> getDeclaringClass()
   Parameters : 
   NA
   Returns :
   the Class object corresponding to this enum constant's enum type
   

   Java

   // Java program to demonstrate getDeclaringClass() method
   enum Color
   {
       RED, GREEN, BLUE;
   }
   
   enum Day
   {
       MONDAY, TUESDAY ;
   }
   
   public class Test
   {
       // Driver method
       public static void main(String[] args)
       {
           // getting value of enum with specified String
           // using valueOf method
           Color c1 = Color.valueOf("RED");
           Color c2 = Color.valueOf("GREEN");
           Day d1 = Day.valueOf("MONDAY");
           Day d2 = Day.valueOf("TUESDAY");
           
           System.out.print("Class corresponding to "+ c1.name() +" : ");
       
           // getDeclaringClass method
           System.out.println(c1.getDeclaringClass());
           
           System.out.print("Class corresponding to "+ c2.name() +" : ");
           
           // getDeclaringClass method
           System.out.println(c2.getDeclaringClass());
           
           System.out.print("Class corresponding to "+ d1.name() +" : ");
           
           // getDeclaringClass method
           System.out.println(d1.getDeclaringClass());
           
           System.out.print("Class corresponding to "+ d2.name() +" : ");
           
           // getDeclaringClass method
           System.out.println(d2.getDeclaringClass());
       }
   }
   

   Output:

   Class corresponding to RED : class Color
   Class corresponding to GREEN : class Color
   Class corresponding to MONDAY : class Day
   Class corresponding to TUESDAY : class Day
   

9. final Object clone() : This method guarantees that enums are never cloned, which is necessary to preserve their "singleton" status. It is used internally by compiler to create Enum constants.

   Syntax : 
   public final Object clone() throws CloneNotSupportedException
   Parameters : 
   NA
   Returns :
   NA
   Overrides :
   clone in class Object
   Throws :
   CloneNotSupportedException-if the object's class does not support the Cloneable interface.
   

   Java

   // Java program to demonstrate clone() method
   enum Color
   {
       RED, GREEN, BLUE;
   }
   
   public class Test
   {
       // Driver method
       public static void main(String[] args) 
               throws CloneNotSupportedException
       {
           System.out.println("Enums are never cloned");
           Test t = new Test()
           {
               // final clone method
               protected final Object clone() 
                       throws CloneNotSupportedException 
               {
                   return new CloneNotSupportedException();
               }
           };    
           
           System.out.println(t.clone());
       }
   }
   

   Output:

   Enums are never cloned
   java.lang.CloneNotSupportedException
   

10. final void finalize() : This method guarantees that enum classes cannot have finalize methods.

    Syntax : 
    protected final void finalize()
    Parameters : 
    NA
    Returns :
    NA
    Overrides :
    finalize in class Object
    

    Java

    // Java program to demonstrate finalize() method
    enum Color
    {
        RED, GREEN, BLUE;
    }
    
    public class Test
    {
        // Driver method
        public static void main(String[] args) throws Throwable 
        {
            System.out.println("enum classes cannot have finalize methods");
            Test t = new Test()
            {
                // final finalize method
                protected final void finalize() throws Throwable 
                {
                       // empty implementation
                };          
            };
        }
    }
    

    Output:

    enum classes cannot have finalize methods