Rails Enum: overriding getter to always compare with symbols instead of strings

Question

Looking at ActiveRecord's Enum documentation , I find it inconsistent that sometimes I'm allowed to use symbols and sometimes I'm required to use only strings.

From the docs, you can query using symbols:

Conversation.where(status: [:active, :archived])
Conversation.where.not(status: :active)

But you can't compare using symbols:

conversation = Conversation.new(status: :active)
conversation.status # "active"
conversation.status == :active # false

And you can set the status using a symbol, but reading it back will return a string, so you must always use strings to compare:

conversation.status = :active # :active
conversation.status # "active"

My point is: I wished to use only symbols, because performance, and it feels more idiomatic to me. If enums are defined using symbols, and can be queried using symbols, why should I be forced (and have to remember!) to use strings when comparing something like conversation.status == "active" ?

My idea is to override getter:

def status
  super.try(:to_sym)
end

This way, I can always use symbols. Any reasonable reason for not doing this?

Answer 1

But you can't compare using symbols:

conversation = Conversation.new(status: :active)
conversation.status # "active"
conversation.status == :active # false

You dont need to compare with symbols:

conversation.active? # true

Any reasonable reason for not doing this?

Yes, you should use the library methods and modules instead of writing you own untested and excess code.

Answer 2

No need to compare enum with string or integer. DOC Link

conversation = Conversation.new(status: :active)
conversation.active? #true/false