Enum Case Not Found

Why This Happens

PHP 8.1 backed enums have a from() method that throws ValueError when the given value does not match any case. This commonly happens with user input, database values, or API data that contains unexpected values. Use tryFrom() to get null instead of an exception.

The Problem

enum UserRole: string {
    case User = 'user';
    case Admin = 'administrator';
}
$role = UserRole::from('admin'); // 'admin' doesn't match 'administrator'

The Fix

enum UserRole: string {
    case User = 'user';
    case Admin = 'administrator';
}
$role = UserRole::tryFrom('admin'); // Returns null
if ($role === null) {
    $role = UserRole::User; // Fallback to default
}

Step-by-Step Fix

1. 1

   Check the enum cases

   Look at the enum definition to see the exact backing values. They must match exactly, including case sensitivity.

2. 2

   Use tryFrom for safe conversion

   Replace from() with tryFrom() which returns null instead of throwing an exception for invalid values.

3. 3

   Validate input before conversion

   Check if the value is valid before converting, or handle the null return from tryFrom() with a sensible default.