Arrays - Java - page 383

Display 6.14 Some Methods Included with Every Enumerated Type (part 2 of 2)
public int ordinal()
Returns the position of the calling value in the list of enumerated type values. The first position is 0 .
E XAMPLE
WorkDay.MONDAY.ordinal() returns 0 , WorkDay.TUESDAY.ordinal() returns 1 , and so forth. The
enumerated type WorkDay is defined in Display 6.13.
public int compareTo( Any_Value_Of_The_Enumerated_Type )
Returns a negative value if the calling object precedes the argument in the list of values, returns 0 if
the calling object equals the argument, and returns a positive value if the argument precedes the call-
ing object.
E XAMPLE
WorkDay.TUESDAY.compareTo(WorkDay.THURSDAY) returns a negative value. The type WorkDay is
defined in Display 6.13.
public EnumeratedType [] values()
Returns an array whose elements are the values of the enumerated type in the order in which they
are listed in the definition of the enumerated type.
E XAMPLE
See Display 6.15.
public static EnumeratedType valueOf(String name)
Returns the enumerated type value with the specified name. The string name must be an exact match.
E XAMPLE
WorkDay.valueOf("THURSDAY") returns WorkDay.THURSDAY . The type WorkDay is defined in
Display 6.13.
When comparing two variables (or constants) of an enumerated type, you can use the
equals method, but it is more common to instead use the == operator. For example,
if (meetingDay == availableDay)
System.out.println("Meeting will be on schedule.");
if (meetingDay == WorkDay.THURSDAY)
System.out.println("Long weekend!");
With enumerated types, the equals method and the == operator are equivalent, but
the == operator has nicer syntax.