How to use a typescript enum value in an Angular2 ngSwitch statement

Question

The Typescript enum seems a natural match with Angular2\'s ngSwitch directive. But when I try to use an enum in my component\'s template, I get \"Cannot read property \'xxx

Answer 1

Angular4 - Using Enum in HTML Template ngSwitch / ngSwitchCase

Solution here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/42464835/802196

credit: @snorkpete

In your component, you have

enum MyEnum{
  First,
  Second
}

Then in your component, you bring in the Enum type via a member 'MyEnum', and create another member for your enum variable 'myEnumVar' :

export class MyComponent{
  MyEnum = MyEnum;
  myEnumVar:MyEnum = MyEnum.Second
  ...
}

You can now use myEnumVar and MyEnum in your .html template. Eg, Using Enums in ngSwitch:

<div [ngSwitch]="myEnumVar">
  <div *ngSwitchCase="MyEnum.First"><app-first-component></app-first-component></div>
  <div *ngSwitchCase="MyEnum.Second"><app-second-component></app-second-component></div>
  <div *ngSwitchDefault>MyEnumVar {{myEnumVar}} is not handled.</div>
</div>

Answer 2

If using the 'typetable reference' approach (from @Carl G) and you're using multiple type tables you might want to consider this way :

export default class AppComponent {

  // Store a reference to the enums (must be public for --AOT to work)
  public TT = { 
       CellType: CellType, 
       CatType: CatType, 
       DogType: DogType 
  };

  ...

  dog = DogType.GoldenRetriever; 

Then access in your html file with

{{ TT.DogType[dog] }}   => "GoldenRetriever"

I favor this approach as it makes it clear you're referring to a typetable, and also avoids unnecessary pollution of your component file.

You can also put a global TT somewhere and add enums to it as needed (if you want this you may as well make a service as shown by @VincentSels answer). If you have many many typetables this may become cumbersome.

Also you always rename them in your declaration to get a shorter name.

Answer 3

My component used an object myClassObject of type MyClass, which itself was using MyEnum. This lead to the same issue described above. Solved it by doing:

export enum MyEnum {
    Option1,
    Option2,
    Option3
}
export class MyClass {
    myEnum: typeof MyEnum;
    myEnumField: MyEnum;
    someOtherField: string;
}

and then using this in the template as

<div [ngSwitch]="myClassObject.myEnumField">
  <div *ngSwitchCase="myClassObject.myEnum.Option1">
    Do something for Option1
  </div>
  <div *ngSwitchCase="myClassObject.myEnum.Option2">
    Do something for Option2
  </div>
  <div *ngSwitchCase="myClassObject.myEnum.Option3">
    Do something for Opiton3
  </div>
</div>