[Proposal]: Adjust handling of `EnumEntry::toString()` for backed enums

[stloyd]

Describe the Proposal

Right now, EnumEntry::toString() calls will always return a name for any given enum, while it's most of the time a perfect fit, but when you have \BackedEnum, you may expect to get the value aligned to the name, not the name itself.

API Adjustments

    public function toString() : string
    {
        if ($this->value === null) {
            return '';
        }

        // New code
        if ($this->value instanceof \BackedEnum) {
            return (string) $this->value->value;
        }

        return $this->value->name;
    }

Are you intending to also work on proposed change?

Yes

Are you interested in sponsoring this change?

None

Integration & Dependencies

No response

[norberttech]

oh I see what you mean, hmm lets take one step back and maybe think about purpose of toString() method.

Right now, method toString() is being used in different contexts:

• by EntryNormalizers (which I guess took you here)
• by printers, like to_output()

plus some minor places like Row::hash()

But you are right, with BackedEnum it might make sense in certain places to use value, instead of name. However I believe current approach is correct one.
Let me explain, why:

<?php

enum Color: int
{
    case Red = 0;
    case Orange = 1;
    case Yellow = 2;
    case Green = 3;
    case Blue = 4;
    case Indigo = 5;
    case Violet = 6;
    case Purple = 7;
    case Pink = 8;
    case Brown = 9;
    case Gray = 10;
}

So if we print values from toString() method we are pretty much getting in console under column name color just integers when we use to_output().

I think that EntryNormalizers should use EnumEntry::value() : ?\UnitEnum and be configurable, which means there should be a possibility to configure entry normalizer to:

• always use name for all entries
• always use value for all entries
• use name for only specific entries
• use value for only specific entries
• by default always use name

This would need to be a similar configuration to date/time/datetime formats that we pass to normalizers.