Persisting Enums in Java: Beyond ORDINAL and STRING
In Java, enums are typically persisted in a database using either their ordinal values or names (strings). While this approach is straightforward, it may not always be the best choice. Enum names are tied to the application’s code and can be prone to changes, while ordinal values are even more fragile, as modifying the enum order can break data consistency. A more flexible and database-friendly approach is needed when dealing with identifiers that don’t naturally align with Java’s enum conventions or when aiming to decouple the database structure from internal application logic.