# How to iterate over enum values in Java

By Atta Ur Rehman Shah (https://attacomsian.com/about). Published Nov 5, 2022, updated Nov 6, 2022. Topics: Java.
Canonical URL: https://attacomsian.com/blog/java-iterate-enum-values

> Learn how to use the values() method to get a list of enum values and iterate over them using loops in Java.

In Java, the `enum` type is a special Java class used to assign a predefined set of constants to a variable, such as days in a week, months in a year, etc.

In this article, you will learn about different ways to iterate over enum values in Java. Let us say we have the following enum class:

```java
public enum Days {
    MONDAY,
    TUESDAY,
    WEDNESDAY,
    THURSDAY,
    FRIDAY,
    SATURDAY,
    SUNDAY
}
```

## Iterate over enum values using the `for` loop

You can use the `values()` method to retrieve an array containing all the enum values. Once you obtain the array, you can iterate over it using the for loop, as shown below:

```java
for (Days day : Days.values()) {
    System.out.println(day);
}

// MONDAY
// TUESDAY
// WEDNESDAY
// THURSDAY
// FRIDAY
// SATURDAY
// SUNDAY
```

The `values()` method returns an array containing the constants of the enum type, in the order, they're declared.

## Iterate over enum values using `forEach()`

The `forEach()` method was introduced in Java 8 as part of the `Iterable` interface. So all the Java collection classes (`List`, `Set`, etc.) provides an implementation of the `forEach()` method.

To use the `forEach()` method to iterate over enum values, you first need to convert the enum into a list or a set. 

Here is how you can use the `Arrays.asList()` method to convert an enum into a list and then use the `forEach()` method to iterate over all values:

```java
Arrays.asList(Days.values()).forEach(System.out::println);

// MONDAY
// TUESDAY
// WEDNESDAY
// THURSDAY
// FRIDAY
// SATURDAY
// SUNDAY
```

Alternatively, you can use the `EnumSet.allOf()` method to convert the enum into a set and iterate over its values:

```java
EnumSet.allOf(Days.class).forEach(System.out::println);
```

## Iterate over enum values using Streams

The `Stream` class can also be used to iterate over enum values, as shown below:

```java
Stream.of(Days.values()).forEach(System.out::println);

// MONDAY
// TUESDAY
// WEDNESDAY
// THURSDAY
// FRIDAY
// SATURDAY
// SUNDAY
```