With enum_fu, you can use integer fields in DB as enum typed in ActiveRecord.
 - faster operation in DB
 - easy coding 



Usage 
======

# db schema
create_table 'users' do |t|
  t.column 'role', :integer, :limit => 2
end

# model
class User < ActiveRecord::Base
  acts_as_enum :role, [:customer, :admin]
end

# usage


# create new record
u = User.new(:role => :customer) 
u.save

# get value
u.role        # :customer
u.role_before_type_cast    # 0

# set value
u.role = :user


# get the integer value for an enum value
User.role(:user)    # 1


# list of all enum values  
User::ROLE      # [:customer, :admin]


# in a view
<% form_for :customer, :url => {:action => 'create'} do |f| %>
    <%= f.select :role, Customer::ROLE %>
<% end %>

# in a controller
u = User.new(params[:customer])



History 
=======

Version 0.3 
-----------
    2008.09.04 
    Applied patches from Hongli Lia(www.phusion.nl)

    - Fixed a type in Readme 

    - The singleton enum value getter method (e.g. "Car.status(:broken)   =>  1") is now defined on the metaclass 
    instead of on 'SomeModel.class'. This is because 'SomeModel.class' always returns 'Class', so you actually ended up 
    defining this singleton method on every class in the system.

    - The value assignment method (e.g. "@car.status = ...") can now also accept numbers (e.g. 123) and number strings 
    (e.g. "123"). This allows one to call "Car.new(:car => { :broken => '1' })" (There was a similiar patch also from 
    Georg Ledermann long before.)

    - Unit tests have been added. (Wow! Big applause to Hongli Lai)

Version 0.2 
-----------
    2007.12.28 
    Applied patches from Norman Clarke and Georg Ledermann 

    - accpet nil as input
  user.role = nil

Version 0.1 
-----------
    Someday in 2007 
    First Release