Advanced Java Enum Features You Need to Know
Java’s enum is more powerful than you think. It’s a first-class citizen in Java and even supports functional programming.
Frequently, I find myself using enums in Java to represent a set of potential values for something. The ability to determine at compile-time what values a type can have is a powerful capability, it gives structure and meaning to your code. When I first learned about enums, I thought they were merely a tool to give a name to a constant and could be just as easily replaced by static constant String ENUM_VAL_NAME.
Well, I was wrong. It turns out that Java Enums have pretty advanced features that make your code clean, less prone to error, and functional.
Let’s take a look at some of the advanced enum features in Java and how to leverage them to make your code simpler and more readable.
Enums are Classes!
In Java, Enums are a subclass of Object. Let's take a look at the base class of all enums, Enum<E> (modified for brevity).
