Some databases do not have enums and we ofter just store strings. This package provides functionality to encode and decode strings into Enum values. This package is designed for situations where you need to represent strings as unique integer values, often used for enumeration-like functionality. It goes with improved performance and memory usage.

This package has zero dependencies.

To install the enum package, simply run:

go get github.com/kaatinga/enum

Here's a quick guide on how to use the package:

import "github.com/kaatinga/enum"

To encode a string into an Enum value, use the Encode function. It will convert a string of characters into an integer value:

s := "Hello"
encoded, err := enum.Encode(s)
if err != nil {
    fmt.Println("Error:", err)
} else {
    fmt.Println("Encoded:", encoded)
}

To decode an Enum back into its original string representation, you can use the String method of the Enum type:

s := "Hello" // Replace with your actual encoded value
encoded, err := enum.Encode(s)
decoded := encoded.String()
fmt.Println("Decoded:", decoded)

The package supports encoding and decoding using the following characters:

• Digits: 0-9
• Uppercase Letters: A-Z
• Lowercase Letters: a-z
• Underscore: _
• Space: (whitespace)

The package enforces a maximum string length for encoding, supporting strings with lengths between 1 and 10 characters. If the input string length does not meet this criterion, the errInvalidLength error is returned.

In cases where an error occurs during encoding, the Encode function returns an error, allowing you to handle it gracefully.

This package is provided under the MIT License. Feel free to use and modify it as needed.

Contributions to the package are welcome. If you encounter any issues or have ideas for improvements, please open an issue or a pull request on the GitHub repository.