doubt in enum

[Pradeep Kumar]

Hi ranchers,
When declaring an enum why is that we have to define the constructor only after defining the enum constants. If we try defining the constructor before the enum constants we get a compile time error. Can someone explain me this. For ex:
//Code that throws compile time error

class EnumDemo 
{
    enum PreferredCoffee{
 
         PreferredCoffee(){
            System.out.println("Constructor of PreferredCoffee");
        }
        COLD,
        MEDIUM,
        HOT;
           
    }
    public static void main(String[] args) 
    {
        System.out.println("Prefered cofee is  "+PreferredCoffee.HOT);
    }
}
  

// Code that works fine.

  
class EnumDemo 
{
    enum PreferredCoffee{
 
        COLD,
        MEDIUM,
        HOT;
        
         PreferredCoffee(){
            System.out.println("Constructor of PreferredCoffee");
        }
           
    }
    public static void main(String[] args) 
    {
        System.out.println("Prefered cofee is  "+PreferredCoffee.HOT);
    }
}
 

Thanks and Best Regards,
Pradeep

[Venkata Kumar]

Java requires that Enum constants should be declared first prior any fields , constructor, methods. The constructor automatically creates the constants that are defined at the beginning of the Enum body.

[Campbell Ritchie]

That is the way the grammar specifies it. Whoever designed that decided you need to enumerate the possible members before writing the class body.

Don't know any more, but look at the Java Language Specification link I gave you.

[Pradeep Kumar]

thanks for the answer.