Dynamic Enum Cases

<?php

enum E: string {
    case A = 'abc';
    const B = 'def';
}

$name = 'E::A';
echo constant($name)->value;
$name = 'E::B';
echo constant($name);

PHP offers the constant() function to reach the value of a constant, when knowing its name.

This also works for class constant, using the class::constant name. This is an alternative to the class::{$name} syntax, that was introduced in PHP 8.3.

And the constant() call also works on enumeration cases, which are, eventually, also class constants.

See Also

• Dynamic Enum Cases [Try me]

PHP Features

• enum

• enum-case

• constant

• constant-function

• class-constant-syntax

Last updated: 14 July 2026