What Is Enumerated Data Type Give Example?

What Is Enumerated Data Type? Give Example

An enumerated data type, also known as an enum, is a user-defined data type in programming languages that allows us to define a set of named values.

These named values can represent a finite set of possible options for a variable. Enumerated data types are commonly used in programming to improve code readability and maintainability by providing meaningful names to specific values.

Defining an Enumerated Data Type

To define an enumerated data type, we use the enum keyword followed by the name of the enum and a list of comma-separated constant values enclosed in curly braces. Let’s take a look at an example:

enum Days {
    MONDAY,
    TUESDAY,
    WEDNESDAY,
    THURSDAY,
    FRIDAY,
    SATURDAY,
    SUNDAY
}

In this example, we have defined an enum called “Days” with seven constant values representing each day of the week.

Using Enumerated Data Types

Once we have defined an enum, we can declare variables of that enum type. For example:

Days today = Days.MONDAY;

In this declaration, we create a variable called “today” of type “Days” and assign it the value “MONDAY”. This helps improve code readability as it clearly indicates that the variable represents a day of the week.

We can also compare enum values using logical operators like equals (==) or not equals (!=). For instance:

if (today == Days.FRIDAY) {
    System.out.println("It's Friday!");
} else {
    System.println("It's not Friday yet.");
}

This code snippet checks if the value of the “today” variable is equal to “FRIDAY” and prints a corresponding message. If it’s not Friday, it will print “It’s not Friday yet.”

Benefits of Enumerated Data Types

Enumerated data types offer several benefits in programming:

• Readability: Enumerated values provide meaningful names, making the code more readable and self-explanatory.
• Type Safety: Enums are type-safe, meaning we can only assign values that belong to the defined set. This helps prevent programming errors.
• Maintainability: When using enums, if we need to add or remove options, we only need to modify the enum definition rather than changing every occurrence throughout our codebase.

Conclusion

In summary, an enumerated data type allows us to define a set of named values in programming. They enhance code readability, improve type safety, and make maintaining our code easier. By using enums, we can represent a finite set of options with meaningful names.