:mod:`enum` --- Support for enumerations ======================================== .. module:: enum :synopsis: Implementation of an enumeration class. .. moduleauthor:: Ethan Furman .. sectionauthor:: Barry Warsaw .. sectionauthor:: Eli Bendersky .. sectionauthor:: Ethan Furman .. versionadded:: 3.4 **Source code:** :source:`Lib/enum.py` .. sidebar:: Important This page contains the API reference information. For tutorial information and discussion of more advanced topics, see * :ref:`Basic Tutorial ` * :ref:`Advanced Tutorial ` * :ref:`Enum Cookbook ` --------------- An enumeration: * is a set of symbolic names (members) bound to unique values * can be iterated over to return its members in definition order * uses *call* syntax to return members by value * uses *index* syntax to return members by name Enumerations are created either by using the :keyword:`class` syntax, or by using function-call syntax:: >>> from enum import Enum >>> # class syntax >>> class Color(Enum): ... RED = 1 ... GREEN = 2 ... BLUE = 3 >>> # functional syntax >>> Color = Enum('Color', ['RED', 'GREEN', 'BLUE']) Even though we can use the :keyword:`class` syntax to create Enums, Enums are not normal Python classes. See :ref:`How are Enums different? ` for more details. .. note:: Nomenclature - The class :class:`Color` is an *enumeration* (or *enum*) - The attributes :attr:`Color.RED`, :attr:`Color.GREEN`, etc., are *enumeration members* (or *enum members*) and are functionally constants. - The enum members have *names* and *values* (the name of :attr:`Color.RED` is ``RED``, the value of :attr:`Color.BLUE` is ``3``, etc.) --------------- Module Contents --------------- :class:`EnumType` The ``type`` for Enum and its subclasses. :class:`Enum` Base class for creating enumerated constants. :class:`IntEnum` Base class for creating enumerated constants that are also subclasses of :class:`int`. (`Notes`_) :class:`StrEnum` Base class for creating enumerated constants that are also subclasses of :class:`str`. (`Notes`_) :class:`Flag` Base class for creating enumerated constants that can be combined using the bitwise operations without losing their :class:`Flag` membership. :class:`IntFlag` Base class for creating enumerated constants that can be combined using the bitwise operators without losing their :class:`IntFlag` membership. :class:`IntFlag` members are also subclasses of :class:`int`. (`Notes`_) :class:`EnumCheck` An enumeration with the values ``CONTINUOUS``, ``NAMED_FLAGS``, and ``UNIQUE``, for use with :func:`verify` to ensure various constraints are met by a given enumeration. :class:`FlagBoundary` An enumeration with the values ``STRICT``, ``CONFORM``, ``EJECT``, and ``KEEP`` which allows for more fine-grained control over how invalid values are dealt with in an enumeration. :class:`auto` Instances are replaced with an appropriate value for Enum members. :class:`StrEnum` defaults to the lower-cased version of the member name, while other Enums default to 1 and increase from there. :func:`global_enum` :class:`Enum` class decorator to apply the appropriate global `__repr__`, and export its members into the global name space. :func:`.property` Allows :class:`Enum` members to have attributes without conflicting with other members' names. :func:`unique` Enum class decorator that ensures only one name is bound to any one value. :func:`verify` Enum class decorator that checks user-selectable constraints on an enumeration. .. versionadded:: 3.6 ``Flag``, ``IntFlag``, ``auto`` .. versionadded:: 3.11 ``StrEnum``, ``EnumCheck``, ``FlagBoundary`` --------------- Data Types ---------- .. class:: EnumType *EnumType* is the :term:`metaclass` for *enum* enumerations. It is possible to subclass *EnumType* -- see :ref:`Subclassing EnumType ` for details. .. method:: EnumType.__contains__(cls, member) Returns ``True`` if member belongs to the ``cls``:: >>> some_var = Color.RED >>> some_var in Color True .. note:: In Python 3.12 it will be possible to check for member values and not just members; until then, a ``TypeError`` will be raised if a non-Enum-member is used in a containment check. .. method:: EnumType.__dir__(cls) Returns ``['__class__', '__doc__', '__members__', '__module__']`` and the names of the members in ``cls``. User-defined methods and methods from mixin classes will also be included:: >>> dir(Color) ['BLUE', 'GREEN', 'RED', '__class__', '__doc__', '__members__', '__module__'] .. method:: EnumType.__getattr__(cls, name) Returns the Enum member in *cls* matching *name*, or raises an :exc:`AttributeError`:: >>> Color.GREEN Color.GREEN .. method:: EnumType.__getitem__(cls, name) Returns the Enum member in *cls* matching *name*, or raises a :exc:`KeyError`:: >>> Color['BLUE'] Color.BLUE .. method:: EnumType.__iter__(cls) Returns each member in *cls* in definition order:: >>> list(Color) [Color.RED, Color.GREEN, Color.BLUE] .. method:: EnumType.__len__(cls) Returns the number of member in *cls*:: >>> len(Color) 3 .. method:: EnumType.__reversed__(cls) Returns each member in *cls* in reverse definition order:: >>> list(reversed(Color)) [Color.BLUE, Color.GREEN, Color.RED] .. class:: Enum *Enum* is the base class for all *enum* enumerations. .. attribute:: Enum.name The name used to define the ``Enum`` member:: >>> Color.BLUE.name 'BLUE' .. attribute:: Enum.value The value given to the ``Enum`` member:: >>> Color.RED.value 1 .. note:: Enum member values Member values can be anything: :class:`int`, :class:`str`, etc.. If the exact value is unimportant you may use :class:`auto` instances and an appropriate value will be chosen for you. Care must be taken if you mix :class:`auto` with other values. .. attribute:: Enum._ignore_ ``_ignore_`` is only used during creation and is removed from the enumeration once that is complete. ``_ignore_`` is a list of names that will not become members, and whose names will also be removed from the completed enumeration. See :ref:`TimePeriod ` for an example. .. method:: Enum.__call__(cls, value, names=None, \*, module=None, qualname=None, type=None, start=1, boundary=None) This method is called in two different ways: * to look up an existing member: :cls: The enum class being called. :value: The value to lookup. * to use the ``cls`` enum to create a new enum: :cls: The enum class being called. :value: The name of the new Enum to create. :names: The names/values of the members for the new Enum. :module: The name of the module the new Enum is created in. :qualname: The actual location in the module where this Enum can be found. :type: A mix-in type for the new Enum. :start: The first integer value for the Enum (used by :class:`auto`) :boundary: How to handle out-of-range values from bit operations (:class:`Flag` only) .. method:: Enum.__dir__(self) Returns ``['__class__', '__doc__', '__module__', 'name', 'value']`` and any public methods defined on ``self.__class__`` or a mixin class:: >>> from datetime import date >>> class Weekday(Enum): ... MONDAY = 1 ... TUESDAY = 2 ... WEDNESDAY = 3 ... THURSDAY = 4 ... FRIDAY = 5 ... SATURDAY = 6 ... SUNDAY = 7 ... @classmethod ... def today(cls): ... print('today is %s' % cls(date.today().isoweekday()).name) >>> dir(Weekday.SATURDAY) ['__class__', '__doc__', '__module__', 'name', 'today', 'value'] .. method:: Enum._generate_next_value_(name, start, count, last_values) :name: The name of the member being defined (e.g. 'RED'). :start: The start value for the Enum; the default is 1. :count: The number of members currently defined, not including this one. :last_values: A list of the previous values. A *staticmethod* that is used to determine the next value returned by :class:`auto`:: >>> from enum import auto >>> class PowersOfThree(Enum): ... @staticmethod ... def _generate_next_value_(name, start, count, last_values): ... return (count + 1) * 3 ... FIRST = auto() ... SECOND = auto() >>> PowersOfThree.SECOND.value 6 .. method:: Enum._missing_(cls, value) A *classmethod* for looking up values not found in *cls*. By default it does nothing, but can be overridden to implement custom search behavior:: >>> from enum import StrEnum >>> class Build(StrEnum): ... DEBUG = auto() ... OPTIMIZED = auto() ... @classmethod ... def _missing_(cls, value): ... value = value.lower() ... for member in cls: ... if member.value == value: ... return member ... return None >>> Build.DEBUG.value 'debug' >>> Build('deBUG') Build.DEBUG .. method:: Enum.__repr__(self) Returns the string used for *repr()* calls. By default, returns the *Enum* name and the member name, but can be overridden:: >>> class OldStyle(Enum): ... RETRO = auto() ... OLD_SCHOOl = auto() ... YESTERYEAR = auto() ... def __repr__(self): ... cls_name = self.__class__.__name__ ... return f'<{cls_name}.{self.name}: {self.value}>' >>> OldStyle.RETRO .. method:: Enum.__str__(self) Returns the string used for *str()* calls. By default, returns the member name, but can be overridden:: >>> class OldStyle(Enum): ... RETRO = auto() ... OLD_SCHOOl = auto() ... YESTERYEAR = auto() ... def __str__(self): ... cls_name = self.__class__.__name__ ... return f'{cls_name}.{self.name}' >>> OldStyle.RETRO OldStyle.RETRO .. note:: Using :class:`auto` with :class:`Enum` results in integers of increasing value, starting with ``1``. .. class:: IntEnum *IntEnum* is the same as *Enum*, but its members are also integers and can be used anywhere that an integer can be used. If any integer operation is performed with an *IntEnum* member, the resulting value loses its enumeration status. >>> from enum import IntEnum >>> class Numbers(IntEnum): ... ONE = 1 ... TWO = 2 ... THREE = 3 >>> Numbers.THREE Numbers.THREE >>> Numbers.ONE + Numbers.TWO 3 >>> Numbers.THREE + 5 8 >>> Numbers.THREE == 3 True .. note:: Using :class:`auto` with :class:`IntEnum` results in integers of increasing value, starting with ``1``. .. class:: StrEnum *StrEnum* is the same as *Enum*, but its members are also strings and can be used in most of the same places that a string can be used. The result of any string operation performed on or with a *StrEnum* member is not part of the enumeration. .. note:: There are places in the stdlib that check for an exact :class:`str` instead of a :class:`str` subclass (i.e. ``type(unknown) == str`` instead of ``isinstance(str, unknown)``), and in those locations you will need to use ``str(StrEnum.member)``. .. note:: Using :class:`auto` with :class:`StrEnum` results in values of the member name, lower-cased. .. versionadded:: 3.11 .. class:: Flag *Flag* members support the bitwise operators ``&`` (*AND*), ``|`` (*OR*), ``^`` (*XOR*), and ``~`` (*INVERT*); the results of those operators are members of the enumeration. .. method:: __contains__(self, value) Returns *True* if value is in self:: >>> from enum import Flag, auto >>> class Color(Flag): ... RED = auto() ... GREEN = auto() ... BLUE = auto() >>> purple = Color.RED | Color.BLUE >>> white = Color.RED | Color.GREEN | Color.BLUE >>> Color.GREEN in purple False >>> Color.GREEN in white True >>> purple in white True >>> white in purple False .. method:: __iter__(self): Returns all contained members:: >>> list(Color.RED) [Color.RED] >>> list(purple) [Color.RED, Color.BLUE] .. method:: __len__(self): Returns number of members in flag:: >>> len(Color.GREEN) 1 >>> len(white) 3 .. method:: __bool__(self): Returns *True* if any members in flag, *False* otherwise:: >>> bool(Color.GREEN) True >>> bool(white) True >>> black = Color(0) >>> bool(black) False .. method:: __or__(self, other) Returns current flag binary or'ed with other:: >>> Color.RED | Color.GREEN Color.RED|Color.GREEN .. method:: __and__(self, other) Returns current flag binary and'ed with other:: >>> purple & white Color.RED|Color.BLUE >>> purple & Color.GREEN 0x0 .. method:: __xor__(self, other) Returns current flag binary xor'ed with other:: >>> purple ^ white Color.GREEN >>> purple ^ Color.GREEN Color.RED|Color.GREEN|Color.BLUE .. method:: __invert__(self): Returns all the flags in *type(self)* that are not in self:: >>> ~white 0x0 >>> ~purple Color.GREEN >>> ~Color.RED Color.GREEN|Color.BLUE .. note:: Using :class:`auto` with :class:`Flag` results in integers that are powers of two, starting with ``1``. .. class:: IntFlag *IntFlag* is the same as *Flag*, but its members are also integers and can be used anywhere that an integer can be used. >>> from enum import IntFlag, auto >>> class Color(IntFlag): ... RED = auto() ... GREEN = auto() ... BLUE = auto() >>> Color.RED & 2 0x0 >>> Color.RED | 2 Color.RED|Color.GREEN If any integer operation is performed with an *IntFlag* member, the result is not an *IntFlag*:: >>> Color.RED + 2 3 If a *Flag* operation is performed with an *IntFlag* member and: * the result is a valid *IntFlag*: an *IntFlag* is returned * the result is not a valid *IntFlag*: the result depends on the *FlagBoundary* setting .. note:: Using :class:`auto` with :class:`IntFlag` results in integers that are powers of two, starting with ``1``. .. class:: EnumCheck *EnumCheck* contains the options used by the :func:`verify` decorator to ensure various constraints; failed constraints result in a :exc:`TypeError`. .. attribute:: UNIQUE Ensure that each value has only one name:: >>> from enum import Enum, verify, UNIQUE >>> @verify(UNIQUE) ... class Color(Enum): ... RED = 1 ... GREEN = 2 ... BLUE = 3 ... CRIMSON = 1 Traceback (most recent call last): ... ValueError: aliases found in : CRIMSON -> RED .. attribute:: CONTINUOUS Ensure that there are no missing values between the lowest-valued member and the highest-valued member:: >>> from enum import Enum, verify, CONTINUOUS >>> @verify(CONTINUOUS) ... class Color(Enum): ... RED = 1 ... GREEN = 2 ... BLUE = 5 Traceback (most recent call last): ... ValueError: invalid enum 'Color': missing values 3, 4 .. attribute:: NAMED_FLAGS Ensure that any flag groups/masks contain only named flags -- useful when values are specified instead of being generated by :func:`auto` >>> from enum import Flag, verify, NAMED_FLAGS >>> @verify(NAMED_FLAGS) ... class Color(Flag): ... RED = 1 ... GREEN = 2 ... BLUE = 4 ... WHITE = 15 ... NEON = 31 Traceback (most recent call last): ... ValueError: invalid Flag 'Color': aliases WHITE and NEON are missing combined values of 0x18 [use enum.show_flag_values(value) for details] .. note:: CONTINUOUS and NAMED_FLAGS are designed to work with integer-valued members. .. versionadded:: 3.11 .. class:: FlagBoundary *FlagBoundary* controls how out-of-range values are handled in *Flag* and its subclasses. .. attribute:: STRICT Out-of-range values cause a :exc:`ValueError` to be raised. This is the default for :class:`Flag`:: >>> from enum import Flag, STRICT >>> class StrictFlag(Flag, boundary=STRICT): ... RED = auto() ... GREEN = auto() ... BLUE = auto() >>> StrictFlag(2**2 + 2**4) Traceback (most recent call last): ... ValueError: StrictFlag: invalid value: 20 given 0b0 10100 allowed 0b0 00111 .. attribute:: CONFORM Out-of-range values have invalid values removed, leaving a valid *Flag* value:: >>> from enum import Flag, CONFORM >>> class ConformFlag(Flag, boundary=CONFORM): ... RED = auto() ... GREEN = auto() ... BLUE = auto() >>> ConformFlag(2**2 + 2**4) ConformFlag.BLUE .. attribute:: EJECT Out-of-range values lose their *Flag* membership and revert to :class:`int`. This is the default for :class:`IntFlag`:: >>> from enum import Flag, EJECT >>> class EjectFlag(Flag, boundary=EJECT): ... RED = auto() ... GREEN = auto() ... BLUE = auto() >>> EjectFlag(2**2 + 2**4) 20 .. attribute:: KEEP Out-of-range values are kept, and the *Flag* membership is kept. This is used for some stdlib flags: >>> from enum import Flag, KEEP >>> class KeepFlag(Flag, boundary=KEEP): ... RED = auto() ... GREEN = auto() ... BLUE = auto() >>> KeepFlag(2**2 + 2**4) KeepFlag.BLUE|0x10 .. versionadded:: 3.11 --------------- Utilities and Decorators ------------------------ .. class:: auto *auto* can be used in place of a value. If used, the *Enum* machinery will call an *Enum*'s :meth:`_generate_next_value_` to get an appropriate value. For *Enum* and *IntEnum* that appropriate value will be the last value plus one; for *Flag* and *IntFlag* it will be the first power-of-two greater than the last value; for *StrEnum* it will be the lower-cased version of the member's name. ``_generate_next_value_`` can be overridden to customize the values used by *auto*. .. decorator:: global_enum A :keyword:`class` decorator specifically for enumerations. It replaces the :meth:`__repr__` method with one that shows *module_name*.*member_name*. It also injects the members, and their aliases, into the global namespace they were defined in. .. versionadded:: 3.11 .. decorator:: property A decorator similar to the built-in *property*, but specifically for enumerations. It allows member attributes to have the same names as members themselves. .. note:: the *property* and the member must be defined in separate classes; for example, the *value* and *name* attributes are defined in the *Enum* class, and *Enum* subclasses can define members with the names ``value`` and ``name``. .. versionadded:: 3.11 .. decorator:: unique A :keyword:`class` decorator specifically for enumerations. It searches an enumeration's :attr:`__members__`, gathering any aliases it finds; if any are found :exc:`ValueError` is raised with the details:: >>> from enum import Enum, unique >>> @unique ... class Mistake(Enum): ... ONE = 1 ... TWO = 2 ... THREE = 3 ... FOUR = 3 ... Traceback (most recent call last): ... ValueError: duplicate values found in : FOUR -> THREE .. decorator:: verify A :keyword:`class` decorator specifically for enumerations. Members from :class:`EnumCheck` are used to specify which constraints should be checked on the decorated enumeration. .. versionadded:: 3.11 --------------- Notes ----- :class:`IntEnum`, :class:`StrEnum`, and :class:`IntFlag` These three enum types are designed to be drop-in replacements for existing integer- and string-based values; as such, they have extra limitations: - ``format()`` will use the value of the enum member, unless ``__str__`` has been overridden - ``StrEnum.__str__`` uses the value and not the name of the enum member If you do not need/want those limitations, you can create your own base class by mixing in the ``int`` or ``str`` type yourself:: >>> from enum import Enum >>> class MyIntEnum(int, Enum): ... pass