Exploring Enumerations in PHP: Workarounds and Native Support in PHP 8.1

Enumerations (enums) are a popular feature in many programming languages like Java, allowing developers to define a set of named values. However, until recently, PHP did not have native support for enums, which led developers to create various workarounds to mimic their behavior. This blog post explores different approaches to using enums in PHP, from traditional workarounds to the native support introduced in PHP 8.1.

The Challenge: Enums in PHP Before 8.1

Before PHP 8.1, developers who were used to the enum functionality from languages like Java faced challenges in PHP. Enums are beneficial because they allow for predefined, immutable sets of values that can be used for things like status codes, types, or other categories. However, PHP’s lack of native enum support led to several issues:

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