MySQL ENUM Data Type

Summary: in this tutorial, you will learn how to use MySQL ENUM data type for defining columns that store enumeration values.

Introduction to MySQL ENUM data type

In MySQL, an ENUM is a string object whose value is chosen from a list of permitted values defined at the time of column creation.

To define an ENUM column, you use the following syntax:

column_name ENUM('value1', 'value2', ..., 'valueN')Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

In this syntax:

column_name: This is the name of the column that uses the ENUM data type
'value1', 'value2', … 'valueN': These are the list of values that the column can hold. The values are separated by commas.

MySQL ENUM data type example

Suppose you have to store ticket information with the priority: low, medium, and high. To assign these string values to the priority column, you can use the ENUM data type.

First, create a new table that includes a priority column with the ENUM type:

CREATE TABLE tickets (
    id INT PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
    title VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
    priority ENUM('Low', 'Medium', 'High') NOT NULL
);Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

The priority column accepts only three values Low, Medium and High.

Behind the scenes, MySQL maps each enumeration member to a numeric index. In this case, it maps the Low, Medium, and High values to 1, 2, and 3 respectively.

Second, insert a new row into the tickets table:

INSERT INTO tickets(title, priority)
VALUES('Scan virus for computer A', 'High');Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

In this example, we use the predefined value 'High' to insert into the priority column.

Besides the enumeration values, you can use the numeric index of the enumeration member to insert data into an ENUM column.

Third, insert a new row into the tickets table using a numeric index value instead of the predefined values:

INSERT INTO tickets(title, priority)
VALUES('Upgrade Windows OS for all computers', 1);Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

In this example, instead of using the Low enumeration value, we used value 1. Since Low is mapped to 1, it is acceptable.

Fourth, insert multiple rows into the tickets table:

INSERT INTO tickets(title, priority)
VALUES('Install Google Chrome for Mr. John', 'Medium'),
      ('Create a new user for the new employee David', 'High');     Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

Because we define the priority as a NOT NULL column, when you insert a new row without specifying the value for the priority column, MySQL will use the first enumeration member as the default value. For example:

INSERT INTO tickets(title)
VALUES('Refresh the computer of Ms. Lily');Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

The contents of the tickets table are as follows:

+----+----------------------------------------------+----------+
| id | title                                        | priority |
+----+----------------------------------------------+----------+
|  1 | Scan virus for computer A                    | High     |
|  2 | Upgrade Windows OS for all computers         | Low      |
|  3 | Install Google Chrome for Mr. John           | Medium   |
|  4 | Create a new user for the new employee David | High     |
|  5 | Refresh the computer of Ms. Lily             | Low      |
+----+----------------------------------------------+----------+
5 rows in set (0.00 sec)Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

In the non-strict SQL mode, if you insert an invalid value into an ENUM column, MySQL will use an empty string '' with the numeric index 0 for inserting.

If you enable the SQL strict mode and you attempt to insert an invalid ENUM value, you will get an error. For example:

INSERT INTO tickets(title, priority)
VALUES('Invalid ticket',-1);Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

Error:

ERROR 1265 (01000): Data truncated for column 'priority' at row 1Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

Note that an ENUM column can accept NULL values if you define it as a nullable column.

Filtering MySQL ENUM values

The following statement retrieves all the tickets with high priority:

SELECT 
  * 
FROM 
  tickets 
WHERE 
  priority = 'High';Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

Output:

+----+----------------------------------------------+----------+
| id | title                                        | priority |
+----+----------------------------------------------+----------+
|  1 | Scan virus for computer A                    | High     |
|  4 | Create a new user for the new employee David | High     |
+----+----------------------------------------------+----------+Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

Because the enumeration member 'High' is mapped to 3, the following query returns the same result set:

SELECT 
  * 
FROM 
  tickets 
WHERE 
  priority = 3;Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

Sorting MySQL ENUM values

MySQL sorts ENUM values based on their index numbers. Therefore, the order of members depends on how they were defined in the enumeration list.

The following query selects the tickets and sorts them by priority from High to Low:

SELECT 
  title, 
  priority 
FROM 
  tickets 
ORDER BY 
  priority DESC;Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

Output:

+----------------------------------------------+----------+
| title                                        | priority |
+----------------------------------------------+----------+
| Scan virus for computer A                    | High     |
| Create a new user for the new employee David | High     |
| Install Google Chrome for Mr. John           | Medium   |
| Upgrade Windows OS for all computers         | Low      |
| Refresh the computer of Ms. Lily             | Low      |
+----------------------------------------------+----------+
5 rows in set (0.01 sec)Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

It’s a good practice to define the enumeration values in the order that you want to sort when you create the ENUM column.

Advantages of ENUM data type

Data Validation: ENUM data types provide strong data validation because they restrict column values to a predefined set of options. This helps maintain data integrity.
Readability: ENUM values are human-readable and self-explanatory, making it easy to understand the data in the column.
Space Efficiency: ENUM values are stored as integers, which are more space-efficient than storing strings.

Limitations of ENUM data type

Limited Flexibility: Once ENUM values are defined, they cannot be easily changed or extended. If you need to add or remove values, you may need to alter the table structure, which can be a complex operation.
Portability: The ENUM data type is specific to MySQL and may not be supported in other database systems.
Maintenance: ENUM values can make the schema harder to maintain as the application evolves, as adding or removing values can be complex.

Summary

Use MySQL ENUM for defining columns with a limited set of allowed values.

Was this tutorial helpful?