Create an enum with string values

Creating an Enum with String Values in TypeScript

Are you tired of using only number values in your enums? Do you want to have more flexibility and use string values instead? Look no further! In this blog post, we will dive into the world of TypeScript enums and explore how to create enums with string values.

The Problem

By default, TypeScript only supports number values in enums. This means that if you try to assign a string value to an enum, you will encounter a compilation error. Let's take a look at an example:

enum e {
    hello = "hello", // error: cannot convert string to e
    world = "world"  // error
};

As you can see, TypeScript raises an error when we try to assign string values directly to the enum. This can be frustrating, especially if you're trying to use enums to represent a specific set of string values.

The Solution

To overcome this limitation, we can use a workaround that involves creating a separate object to map the string values to their corresponding enum values. Let's see how we can do this:

enum e {
    hello,
    world
};

const eMap = {
    hello: e.hello,
    world: e.world
};

In this solution, we define our enum e with number values as usual. Then, we create an object eMap which acts as a mapping between the string values and their corresponding enum values.

Now, we can access the enum values using the string values:

eMap.hello; // Output: 0
eMap.world; // Output: 1

By using this approach, we can effectively mimic an enum with string values in TypeScript.

Summary

Creating enums with string values in TypeScript may seem challenging at first, but with the workaround we've shown, you can easily achieve the same result. By using a separate mapping object, you can associate string values with their corresponding enum values.

Remember, TypeScript enums are a powerful tool to represent a fixed set of values, and by using string values, you can make your code even more expressive and readable.

Now that you know how to create enums with string values, go ahead and try it out in your own projects. Happy coding! 🚀

🌟 Bonus Tip: You can even create a reverse mapping object to get the string value from the enum value if needed. Just keep in mind that this adds more overhead and complexity to your code. Use it wisely!