[ActiveRecord::Enum] Enum maps values to string in the database without hash.

rubyonrails-core
1

Hello again Rails community!

first of all thanks for your time reading this. I apologize in case this appeared before, I swear I have tried a lot of combinations in the search above, found nothing.

Currently Enum allows us to map the values to integers in the database. The typical use case would be something like:

class CreateOrders < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.2] def change create_table :orders do |t| t.integer :status end end end

class Order < ApplicationRecord enum status: [:ok, :billing, :failed] end

``

This would map the following:

Order.statuses[:ok] # => 0 Order.statuses[:billing] # => 1 Order.statuses[:failed] # => 2

``

The problem with integers is that they don’t read well in the database. Seeing status = 0 isn’t meaningful, so at the end lots of teams, including us, end having a string in the database and mapping enums with a hash.

class CreateOrders < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.2] def change create_table :orders do |t| t.string :status end end end

class Order < ApplicationRecord enum status: { ok: ‘ok’, billing: ‘billing’, failed: ‘failed’ } end

``

Writing this really feels to us like unnecessary boilerplate. I would like to write a PR to allow having a string in the database and declaring the enum with an array of symbols.

class CreateOrders < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.2] def change create_table :orders do |t| t.string :status end end end

class Order < ApplicationRecord enum status: [:ok, :billing, :failed] end

``

I think this would feel much better, cleaner. Of course I will keep current options and syntax. Do you like it?

2

I’m +1 as I’ve wanted this in the past. I think enum actually did support this but it was never documented (e.g. private API).

But I remember something about others having objections to supporting

string columns. Perhaps Rafael or Sean?

3

Thanks Kasper for your reply! I’m really happy to see that you’re +1 on this.

I would like to start implementing it on the weekend, it would be great if someone else shares her/his thoughts about it before.

4

Lets discuss on https://github.com/rails/rails/pull/32241

5

class CreateOrders < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.2]   def change     create_table :orders do |t|       t.string :status     end   end end

class Order < ApplicationRecord   enum status: [:ok, :billing, :failed] end

+1!!!