Description
Description
String-backed enums provide a clean way to associate symbolic values with a fixed set of strings. However, accessing the actual string value currently requires explicitly calling the ->value property. This introduces unnecessary boilerplate and makes comparisons and associative array usage more cumbersome.
Image an enum:
enum Demo: string
{
case List = 'LIST';
case Map = 'MAP';
case Slider = 'SLIDER';
}Currently, comparing a string-backed enum to a string requires explicit access to ->value:
Demo::List->value === 'LIST'
A more intuitive and concise syntax would allow direct comparison:
Demo::List === 'LIST'
This would improve readability and reduce boilerplate code.
Array keys
At present, string-backed enums cannot be directly used as array keys:
$map = [Demo::List->value => 'data', Demo::Map->value => 'other data']; // Workaround using ->value
A more natural approach would be to allow enums to be used as keys without explicit conversion:
$map = [Demo::List => 'data', Demo::Map => 'other data'];
This would make working with enums in associative arrays more intuitive and reduce potential errors from manual conversions.