cast int to an enum

[Jesse House]

I am using latest version of java which supports enums, I am trying to cast an integer value to set an enum variable but get compile errors,
any help would be greatly appreaciated, my actual code is more complicated then the example below.

i.e.

public enum Fruit
{
  Apple, // 1
  Orange, // 2
  Banana; // 3
}
 
Fruit fruit = getFruit();
 
public Fruit getFruit()
{
   int i = 1;
 
   return (Fruit)i;
}

compilation error 'Cannot cast from int to Fruit'

[Jim Yingst]

Yeah, you can't simply cast an int to an enum, because they are too different. It's like trying to cast an apple to an orange - you can't. However there is a way to convert (not cast) an int to a Fruit:

    private static Fruit lookUpFruitByOrdinal(int i) {
        return Fruit.values()[i];
    }

The "ordinal" is the int associated with an enum value's position in the list of values. It starts at 0, not 1 (despite the fact that this contradicts conventional mathematical definitions of the word "ordinal"). You can look up the ordinal for a given Fruit using the ordinal() method - so

System.out.println(Fruit.Apple);

will print 0.

[Mark Spritzler]

"JLH"-
Welcome to the JavaRanch! Please adjust your displayed name to meet the

JavaRanch Naming Policy.

You can change it

here.

Thanks! and welcome to the JavaRanch!

Mark

[Jim Yingst]

Yes - the name that was on the account last night was perfectly valid. But "JLH" is not.

[Jesse House]

whoops, I didn't know about the rules of the Display Name, I set it to my standard screen name after creating the post last night, I have fixed the issue.

Jim, thanks for the help with the enum, worked like a charm!

[Jim Yingst]

Glad to hear it, Jesse - thanks for the prompt name fix.