How to get an enum value from a string value in Java

Yes, Blah.valueOf("A") will give you Blah.A.

Note that the name must be an exact match, including case: Blah.valueOf("a") and Blah.valueOf("A ") both throw an IllegalArgumentException.

The static methods valueOf() and values() are created at compile time and do not appear in source code. They do appear in Javadoc, though; for example, Dialog.ModalityType shows both methods.

You should also be careful with your case. Let me explain: doing Blah.valueOf("A") works, but Blah.valueOf("a") will not work. Then again Blah.valueOf("a".toUpperCase(Locale.ENGLISH)) would work.

On Android you should use Locale.US, as sulai points out.

Using Blah.valueOf(string) is best, but you can use Enum.valueOf(Blah.class, string) as well.

Enum is very useful. I have been using Enum a lot to add a description for some fields in different languages, as the following example:

public enum Status {

    ACT(new String[] { "Accepted", "مقبول" }),
    REJ(new String[] { "Rejected", "مرفوض" }),
    PND(new String[] { "Pending", "في الانتظار" }),
    ERR(new String[] { "Error", "خطأ" }),
    SNT(new String[] { "Sent", "أرسلت" });

    private String[] status;

    public String getDescription(String lang) {
        return lang.equals("en") ? status[0] : status[1];
    }

    Status(String[] status) {
        this.status = status;
    }
}

And then you can retrieve the description dynamically based in the language code passed to the getDescription(String lang) method, for example:

String statusDescription = Status.valueOf("ACT").getDescription("en");

Enum valueOf()

An enum class automatically gets a static valueOf() method in the class when compiled. The valueOf() method can be used to obtain an instance of the enum class for a given String value.

For example:

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        System.out.println(Strings.TWO.name());
    }
    enum Strings {
        ONE, TWO, THREE
    }
}

As a switch-version has not been mentioned yet I introduce it (reusing OP's enum):

  private enum Blah {
    A, B, C, D;

    public static Blah byName(String name) {
      switch (name) {
        case "A":
          return A;
        case "B":
          return B;
        case "C":
          return C;
        case "D":
          return D;
        default:
          throw new IllegalArgumentException(
            "No enum constant " + Blah.class.getCanonicalName() + "." + name);
      }
    }
  }

Since this don't give any additional value to the valueOf(String name) method, it only makes sense to define an additional method if we want have a different behavior. If we don't want to raise an IllegalArgumentException we can change the implementation to:

  private enum Blah {
    A, B, C, D;

    public static Blah valueOfOrDefault(String name, Blah defaultValue) {
      switch (name) {
        case "A":
          return A;
        case "B":
          return B;
        case "C":
          return C;
        case "D":
          return D;
        default:
          if (defaultValue == null) {
            throw new NullPointerException();
          }
          return defaultValue;
      }
    }
  }

By providing a default value we keep the contract of Enum.valueOf(String name) without throwing an IllegalArgumentException in that manner that in no case null is returned. Therefore we throw a NullPointerException if the name is null and in case of default if defaultValue is null. That's how valueOfOrDefault works.

This approach adopts the design of the Map-Interface which provides a method Map.getOrDefault(Object key, V defaultValue) as of Java 8.

I was looking for an answer to find the "blah" name and not its value (not the text). Based on Manu's answer, I find this code useful:

public enum Blah {
    A("text1"),
    B("text2"),
    C("text3"),
    D("text4");

private String text;

Blah(String text) {
    this.text = text;
}

public String getText() {
    return this.text;
}

public static Blah valueOfCode(String blahCode) throws IllegalArgumentException {
    Blah blah = Arrays.stream(Blah.values())
            .filter(val -> val.name().equals(blahCode))
            .findFirst()
            .orElseThrow(() -> new IllegalArgumentException("Unable to resolve blah: " + blahCode));

    return blah;
}

}

public enum ToggleStatusUpdate {
    OFF("off", 1),
    ON("on", 2);
    
    private final String name;
    private final int position;
    
    private ToggleStatusUpdate(String name, int position) {
        this.name = name;
        this.position = position;
    }

    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }

    public int getPosition() {
        return position;
    }
    
    public static int getPositionForName(String name) {
        for(ToggleStatusUpdate toggleStatusUpdate : ToggleStatusUpdate.values()) {
            if (toggleStatusUpdate.getName().equals(name)) {
                return toggleStatusUpdate.getPosition();
            }
        }
        return -1;
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println(ToggleStatusUpdate.getPositionForName("off"));
    }
}

A combination of answers and comments for Java 8 using Streams. It creates a static Map for lookup with the opportunity of a default value, to prevent null checks.

public enum Blah {
    A, B, C, D, INVALID

    private static final Map<String, Blah> ENUM_MAP = Stream.of(Blah.values())
            .collect(Collectors.toMap(Enum::name, Function.identity()));

    public static Blah of(final String name) {
        return ENUM_MAP.getOrDefault(name, INVALID);
    }
}

// e.g.
Blah.of("A");
A

Blah.of("X")
INVALID

The fastest way to get the name of enum is to create a map of enum text and values when the application start, and to get the name call the function Blah.getEnumName():

public enum Blah {
    A("text1"),
    B("text2"),
    C("text3"),
    D("text4");

    private String text;
    private HashMap<String, String> map;
    Blah(String text) {
    this.text = text;
    }

    public String getText() {
      return this.text;
    }

    static{
      createMapOfTextAndName();
    }

    public static void createMapOfTextAndName() {
        map = new HashMap<String, String>();
        for (Blah b : Blah.values()) {
             map.put(b.getText(),b.name());
        }
    }
    public static String getEnumName(String text) {
        return map.get(text.toLowerCase());
    }
}

Kotlin Solution

Create an extension and then call valueOf<MyEnum>("value"). If the type is invalid, you'll get null and have to handle it

inline fun <reified T : Enum<T>> valueOf(type: String): T? {
    return try {
        java.lang.Enum.valueOf(T::class.java, type)
    } catch (e: Exception) {
        null
    }
}

Alternatively, you can set a default value, calling valueOf<MyEnum>("value", MyEnum.FALLBACK), and avoiding a null response. You can extend your specific enum to have the default be automatic

inline fun <reified T : Enum<T>> valueOf(type: String, default: T): T {
    return try {
        java.lang.Enum.valueOf(T::class.java, type)
    } catch (e: Exception) {
        default
    }
}

Or if you want both, make the second:

inline fun <reified T : Enum<T>> valueOf(type: String, default: T): T = valueOf<T>(type) ?: default

public enum DivisionType {
DEFAULT(0){
    @Override
    public void sort(List<SigInUserDto> SigInUserDtos) {
        SigInUserDtos.sort(new SigInUserCoinsQueueComparator());
    }
},
ASSIGNPOINTS(1) {
    @Override
    public void sort(List<SigInUserDto> SigInUserDtos) {
        SigInUserDtos.sort(new SigInUserPointsComparator());
    }
},
ASSIGNEVENORDER(2) {
    @Override
    public void sort(List<SigInUserDto> SigInUserDtos) {
        SigInUserDtos.sort(new SigInUserOrderCountComparator());
    }
};

public final Integer label;

DivisionType(Integer label) {
    this.label = label;
}

public static DivisionType getTypeById(Integer id) {
    for (DivisionType value : DivisionType.values()) {
        if (value.label == id) {
            return value;
        }
    }
    return DEFAULT;
}

public abstract void sort(List<SigInUserDto> SigInUserDtos);
}

Using enum: DivisionType.getTypeById(object.getBalancingTypesId().intValue()).sort(sigInUserDtoList);

Here, sort() function is implemented(over-loaded) under each enum match. So, based on object "object.getBalancingTypesId().intValue()" match value, particular enum match is invoked and sorted.