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Is enum string or int?
You can even assign different values to each member. The enum can be of any numeric data type such as byte, sbyte, short, ushort, int, uint, long, or ulong. However, an enum cannot be a string type.
Should you store enums in database?
By keeping the enum in your database, and adding a foreign key on the table that contains an enum value you ensure that no code ever enters incorrect values for that column. This helps your data integrity and is the most obvious reason IMO you should have tables for enums.
How enums are stored in database?
First of all, in order to save enum values in a relational database using JPA, you don’t have to do anything. By default, when an enum is a part of an entity, JPA maps its values into numbers using the ordinal() method. What it means is that without customizations JPA stores enum value as numbers.
How to store enum values as strings in C #?
However, if the enum is the appropriate device in C# — and you are certain that the C# code should drive any change, rather than the database — my preferred approach is to store the underlying value type in the database ( bigint, int, smallint, tinyint) and then constrain the column with the valid enum values.
Is it OK to store enums as ints?
(Im aware that enums should be stored as ints but, personally I have never liked this, yes enums are hard and fast values but I have always percived them to vary a little bit as the code evolves, i am therefore worried about the integrity of using an int value as new values are added.)
Do you use a raw string or an enum?
DO NOT USE a raw string and DO NOT USE an enum. Move list to a separate table and add a relation between them. I usually don’t like assertions because there are always exceptions. enum (not string) may be appropriate in some circumstances (for example a small or simple application where the approach is code first .)
When to change enum values in a database?
Database integrity, open for changes, customizable (you do not need to recompile your code or to write complex queries to add a new country), more features (partial matches, aliases) and UI/BI. If you’re working with a legacy database the time to do changes is now, not someday in future.