1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
|
---
layout: guide
doc_stub: false
search: true
section: Type Definitions
title: Enums
desc: Enums are sets of discrete values
index: 2
---
Enum types are sets of discrete values. An enum field must return one of the possible values of the enum. In the [GraphQL Schema Definition Language](https://graphql.org/learn/schema/#type-language) (SDL), enums are described like this:
```ruby
enum MediaCategory {
AUDIO
IMAGE
TEXT
VIDEO
}
```
So, a `MediaCategory` value is one of: `AUDIO`, `IMAGE`, `TEXT`, or `VIDEO`. This is similar to [ActiveRecord enums](https://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveRecord/Enum.html).
In a GraphQL query, enums are written as identifiers (not strings), for example:
```ruby
search(term: "puppies", mediaType: IMAGE) { ... }
```
(Notice that `IMAGE` doesn't have quotes.)
But, when GraphQL responses or variables are transported using JSON, enum values are expressed as strings, for example:
```ruby
# in a graphql controller:
params["variables"]
# { "mediaType" => "IMAGE" }
```
## Defining Enum Types
In your application, enums extend {{ "GraphQL::Schema::Enum" | api_doc }} and define values with the `value(...)` method:
```ruby
# First, a base class
# app/graphql/types/base_enum.rb
class Types::BaseEnum < GraphQL::Schema::Enum
end
# app/graphql/types/media_category.rb
class Types::MediaCategory < Types::BaseEnum
value "AUDIO", "An audio file, such as music or spoken word"
value "IMAGE", "A still image, such as a photo or graphic"
value "TEXT", "Written words"
value "VIDEO", "Motion picture, may have audio"
end
```
Each value may have:
- A description (as the second argument or `description:` keyword)
- A deprecation reason (as `deprecation_reason:`), marking this value as deprecated
- A corresponding Ruby value (as `value:`), see below
By default, Ruby strings correspond to GraphQL enum values. But, you can provide `value:` options to specify a different mapping. For example, if you use symbols instead of strings, you can say:
```ruby
value "AUDIO", value: :audio
```
Then, GraphQL inputs of `AUDIO` will be converted to `:audio` and Ruby values of `:audio` will be converted to `"AUDIO"` in GraphQL responses.
Enum classes are never instantiated and their methods are never called.
|
