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Q&A Is it possible to write protocols for enumerations in Python?

Having recently learned about protocols in Python, I now wonder if you can write a protocol for enumerations. That is, a protocol that says that you are supposed to pass an enum that has certain it...

1 answer  ·  posted 2y ago by celtschk‭  ·  last activity 2y ago by r~~‭

#1: Initial revision by user avatar celtschk‭ · 2022-05-11T07:54:57Z (over 2 years ago)
Is it possible to write protocols for enumerations in Python?
Having recently learned about protocols in Python, I now wonder if you can write a protocol for enumerations. That is, a protocol that says that you are supposed to pass an enum that has certain items with certain values, but doesn't specify a specific enum.

To explain how I mean it, here's some non-working (in Python 3.8) code that demonstrates how I imagine it to work:

```python
from typing import Protocol
from enum import Enum

# The following does NOT work; the question is whether there's
# something that does work.
class EnumProtocol(Enum, Protocol):
    FOO = 1
    BAR = 2

# The above gives TypeError: metaclass conflict

# this is how it is supposed to work

# A function taking an argument with this protocol
def useit(foobar: EnumProtocol) -> None:
    if foobar = EnumProtocol.FOO:
        print("foo")
    elif foobar = EnumProtocol.BAR:
        print("bar")
    else:
        print(f"{foobar.name} = {foobar.value}")

# The following class fulfils the protocol
class GoodEnum(Enum):
    FOO = 1
    BAR = 2
    BAZ = 3

useit(GoodEnum.FOO) # ok, prints "foo"
useit(GoodEnum.BAZ) # ok, prints "BAZ = 3"

# The following class violates the protocol by having wrong values
class BadEnum(Enum):
    FOO = 2
    BAR = 3

useit(BadEnum.FOO) # type checking gives error

# The following class violates the protocol by missing BAR
class UglyEnum(Enum):
    FOO = 1
    BAZ = 3

useit(UglyEnum.FOO) # type checking gives error
```