Create Laravel Enums

Create PHP backed enums that represent fixed sets of possible values with full type safety. Enums provide compile-time validation for status codes, roles, and categories, with methods for labels, colors, and other presentation logic.

File Structure

Enums are organized by domain context:

app/Enums/{Domain}/{Name}.php

Examples:

• app/Enums/Horizon/Queue.php
• app/Enums/Order/OrderStatus.php
• app/Enums/User/Role.php

Core Conventions

1. Enum Structure

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Enums\{Domain};

enum {Name}: string
{
    case CaseName = 'value';
    case AnotherCase = 'another_value';
}

Key Requirements:

• Always include declare(strict_types=1);
• Use backed enums with string or int type
• PascalCase for case names
• snake_case for string values (following Laravel conventions)

2. Helper Methods

Add static helper methods for common operations:

enum Queue: string
{
    case Default = 'default';
    case Notifications = 'notifications';
    case Reports = 'reports';

    /**
     * @return list<self>
     */
    public static function short(): array
    {
        return [
            self::Default,
            self::Notifications,
        ];
    }

    /**
     * @return list<self>
     */
    public static function long(): array
    {
        return [
            self::Reports,
        ];
    }
}

Examples

Example 1: Simple String Enum

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Enums\User;

enum Role: string
{
    case Admin = 'admin';
    case Editor = 'editor';
    case Viewer = 'viewer';
}

Example 2: Enum with Helper Methods

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Enums\Order;

enum OrderStatus: string
{
    case Pending = 'pending';
    case Processing = 'processing';
    case Completed = 'completed';
    case Cancelled = 'cancelled';

    /**
     * @return list<self>
     */
    public static function active(): array
    {
        return [
            self::Pending,
            self::Processing,
        ];
    }

    /**
     * @return list<self>
     */
    public static function terminal(): array
    {
        return [
            self::Completed,
            self::Cancelled,
        ];
    }

    public function isActive(): bool
    {
        return in_array($this, self::active(), true);
    }

    public function isTerminal(): bool
    {
        return in_array($this, self::terminal(), true);
    }
}

Example 3: Integer Enum

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Enums\User;

enum AccountType: int
{
    case Free = 0;
    case Pro = 1;
    case Enterprise = 2;

    public function isPremium(): bool
    {
        return $this === self::Pro || $this === self::Enterprise;
    }
}

Usage in Models

Enums work seamlessly with Eloquent casts:

final class Order extends Model
{
    protected function casts(): array
    {
        return [
            'status' => OrderStatus::class,
        ];
    }
}

// Usage
$order->status = OrderStatus::Processing;
if ($order->status->isActive()) {
    // ...
}

Usage in Database Migrations

$table->enum('status', ['pending', 'processing', 'completed', 'cancelled'])
      ->default('pending');

// Or use string column for flexibility
$table->string('status')->default('pending');

Anti-Patterns

❌ Don't Do This

// Don't use non-backed enums (no type)
enum Status
{
    case Pending;
    case Completed;
}

// Don't use class constants instead
final class OrderStatus
{
    public const PENDING = 'pending'; // ❌ Use enum
}

// Don't use inconsistent casing
enum Status: string
{
    case pending = 'pending'; // ❌ Use PascalCase
}

✅ Do This Instead

// Use backed enums
enum Status: string
{
    case Pending = 'pending';
    case Completed = 'completed';
}

// Use PascalCase for cases
enum OrderStatus: string
{
    case Pending = 'pending';
    case Processing = 'processing';
}

Quality Standards

• All enums must pass PHPStan level 8
• 100% type coverage required
• Code formatted with Pint
• Refactored with Rector
• PHPDoc for return types on helper methods