---
description: 'Require all enum members to be literal values.'
---

import Tabs from '@theme/Tabs';
import TabItem from '@theme/TabItem';

> 🛑 This file is source code, not the primary documentation location! 🛑
>
> See **https://typescript-eslint.io/rules/prefer-literal-enum-member** for documentation.

TypeScript allows the value of an enum member to be many different kinds of valid JavaScript expressions.
However, because enums create their own scope whereby each enum member becomes a variable in that scope, developers are often surprised at the resultant values.
For example:

```ts
const imOutside = 2;
const b = 2;
enum Foo {
  outer = imOutside,
  a = 1,
  b = a,
  c = b,
  // does c == Foo.b == Foo.c == 1?
  // or does c == b == 2?
}
```

> The answer is that `Foo.c` will be `1` at runtime [[TypeScript playground](https://www.typescriptlang.org/play/#src=const%20imOutside%20%3D%202%3B%0D%0Aconst%20b%20%3D%202%3B%0D%0Aenum%20Foo%20%7B%0D%0A%20%20%20%20outer%20%3D%20imOutside%2C%0D%0A%20%20%20%20a%20%3D%201%2C%0D%0A%20%20%20%20b%20%3D%20a%2C%0D%0A%20%20%20%20c%20%3D%20b%2C%0D%0A%20%20%20%20%2F%2F%20does%20c%20%3D%3D%20Foo.b%20%3D%3D%20Foo.c%20%3D%3D%201%3F%0D%0A%20%20%20%20%2F%2F%20or%20does%20c%20%3D%3D%20b%20%3D%3D%202%3F%0D%0A%7D)].

Therefore, it's often better to prevent unexpected results in code by requiring the use of literal values as enum members.
This rule reports when an enum member is given a value that is not a literal.

## Examples

<Tabs>
<TabItem value="❌ Incorrect">

```ts
const str = 'Test';
const string1 = 'string1';
const string2 = 'string2';

enum Invalid {
  A = str, // Variable assignment
  B = `Interpolates ${string1} and ${string2}`, // Template literal with interpolation
  C = 2 + 2, // Expression assignment
  D = C, // Assignment to another enum member
}
```

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="✅ Correct">

```ts
enum Valid {
  A, // No initializer; initialized with ascending integers starting from 0
  B = 'TestStr', // A regular string
  C = `A template literal string`, // A template literal without interpolation
  D = 4, // A number
}
```

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

## Options

### `allowBitwiseExpressions`

Whether to allow using bitwise expressions in enum initializers (default: `false`).

Examples of code for the `{ "allowBitwiseExpressions": true }` option:

<Tabs>
<TabItem value="❌ Incorrect">

```ts option='{ "allowBitwiseExpressions": true }'
const x = 1;
enum Foo {
  A = x << 0,
  B = x >> 0,
  C = x >>> 0,
  D = x | 0,
  E = x & 0,
  F = x ^ 0,
  G = ~x,
}
```

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="✅ Correct">

```ts option='{ "allowBitwiseExpressions": true }'
enum Foo {
  A = 1 << 0,
  B = 1 >> 0,
  C = 1 >>> 0,
  D = 1 | 0,
  E = 1 & 0,
  F = 1 ^ 0,
  G = ~1,
}
```

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

## When Not To Use It

If you want use anything other than simple literals as an enum value, this rule might not be for you.
