✨ textEnum

drift/lib/src/dsl/table.dart

@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ abstract class Table extends HasResultSet {
   /// corresponding to the enum's index. Note that this can invalidate your data
   /// if you add another value to the enum class.
   @protected
-  ColumnBuilder<int> intEnum<T>() => _isGenerated();
+  ColumnBuilder<int> intEnum<T extends Enum>() => _isGenerated();
 
   /// Use this as the body of a getter to declare a column that holds strings.
   /// Example (inside the body of a table class):
@@ -149,6 +149,13 @@ abstract class Table extends HasResultSet {
   @protected
   ColumnBuilder<String> text() => _isGenerated();
 
+  /// Creates a column to store an `enum` class [T].
+  ///
+  /// In the database, the column will be represented as text corresponding to
+  /// the name of the enum entries. Note that this can invalidate your data if
+  /// you rename the entries of the enum class.
+  ColumnBuilder<String> textEnum<T extends Enum>() => _isGenerated();
+
   /// Use this as the body of a getter to declare a column that holds bools.
   /// Example (inside the body of a table class):
   /// ```

drift/lib/src/runtime/types/converters.dart

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import 'dart:typed_data';
+
 import '../../dsl/dsl.dart';
 import '../data_class.dart';
 
@@ -100,6 +101,26 @@ class EnumIndexConverter<T extends Enum> extends TypeConverter<T, int> {
   }
 }
 
+/// Implementation for an enum to string converter that uses the name of the
+/// enum as the value stored in the database.
+class EnumNameConverter<T extends Enum> extends TypeConverter<T, String> {
+  /// All values of the enum.
+  final List<T> values;
+
+  /// Constant default constructor.
+  const EnumNameConverter(this.values);
+
+  @override
+  T fromSql(String fromDb) {
+    return values.byName(fromDb);
+  }
+
+  @override
+  String toSql(T value) {
+    return value.name;
+  }
+}
+
 /// A type converter automatically mapping `null` values to `null` in both
 /// directions.
 ///

drift_dev/lib/src/analysis/resolver/dart/column.dart

@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ import 'table.dart';
 
 const String _startInt = 'integer';
 const String _startInt64 = 'int64';
-const String _startEnum = 'intEnum';
+const String _startIntEnum = 'intEnum';
+const String _startTextEnum = 'textEnum';
 const String _startString = 'text';
 const String _startBool = 'boolean';
 const String _startDateTime = 'dateTime';
@@ -25,7 +26,8 @@ const String _startReal = 'real';
 const Set<String> _starters = {
   _startInt,
   _startInt64,
-  _startEnum,
+  _startIntEnum,
+  _startTextEnum,
   _startString,
   _startBool,
   _startDateTime,
@@ -349,20 +351,37 @@ class ColumnParser {
       );
     }
 
-    if (foundStartMethod == _startEnum) {
+    if (foundStartMethod == _startIntEnum) {
       if (converter != null) {
         _resolver.reportError(DriftAnalysisError.forDartElement(
           element,
-          'Using $_startEnum will apply a custom converter by default, '
+          'Using $_startIntEnum will apply a custom converter by default, '
           "so you can't add an additional converter",
         ));
       }
 
-      final enumType = remainingExpr.typeArgumentTypes![0];
+      final enumType = remainingExpr.typeArgumentTypes!.first;
       converter = readEnumConverter(
         (msg) => _resolver.reportError(DriftAnalysisError.inDartAst(element,
             remainingExpr.typeArguments ?? remainingExpr.methodName, msg)),
         enumType,
+        EnumType.intEnum,
+      );
+    } else if (foundStartMethod == _startTextEnum) {
+      if (converter != null) {
+        _resolver.reportError(DriftAnalysisError.forDartElement(
+          element,
+          'Using $_startTextEnum will apply a custom converter by default, '
+          "so you can't add an additional converter",
+        ));
+      }
+
+      final enumType = remainingExpr.typeArgumentTypes!.first;
+      converter = readEnumConverter(
+        (msg) => _resolver.reportError(DriftAnalysisError.inDartAst(element,
+            remainingExpr.typeArguments ?? remainingExpr.methodName, msg)),
+        enumType,
+        EnumType.textEnum,
       );
     }
 
@@ -427,7 +446,8 @@ class ColumnParser {
       _startString: DriftSqlType.string,
       _startInt: DriftSqlType.int,
       _startInt64: DriftSqlType.bigInt,
-      _startEnum: DriftSqlType.int,
+      _startIntEnum: DriftSqlType.int,
+      _startTextEnum: DriftSqlType.string,
       _startDateTime: DriftSqlType.dateTime,
       _startBlob: DriftSqlType.blob,
       _startReal: DriftSqlType.double,

drift_dev/lib/src/analysis/resolver/drift/table.dart

@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ class DriftTableResolver extends LocalElementResolver<DiscoveredDriftTable> {
       AnnotatedDartCode? defaultArgument;
 
       final typeName = column.definition?.typeName;
+
       final enumMatch =
           typeName != null ? _enumRegex.firstMatch(typeName) : null;
       if (enumMatch != null) {
@@ -72,6 +73,9 @@ class DriftTableResolver extends LocalElementResolver<DiscoveredDriftTable> {
             (msg) => reportError(
                 DriftAnalysisError.inDriftFile(column.definition ?? stmt, msg)),
             dartClass.classElement.thisType,
+            column.type.type == BasicType.int
+                ? EnumType.intEnum
+                : EnumType.textEnum,
           );
         }
       }

drift_dev/lib/src/analysis/resolver/shared/dart_types.dart

@@ -160,6 +160,11 @@ ExistingRowClass? validateExistingClass(
   );
 }
 
+enum EnumType {
+  intEnum,
+  textEnum,
+}
+
 AppliedTypeConverter? readTypeConverter(
   LibraryElement library,
   Expression dartExpression,
@@ -223,32 +228,39 @@ AppliedTypeConverter? readTypeConverter(
 
 AppliedTypeConverter readEnumConverter(
   void Function(String) reportError,
-  DartType enumType,
+  DartType dartEnumType,
+  EnumType columnEnumType,
 ) {
-  if (enumType is! InterfaceType) {
+  if (dartEnumType is! InterfaceType) {
-    reportError('Not a class: `$enumType`');
+    reportError('Not a class: `$dartEnumType`');
   }
 
-  final creatingClass = enumType.element;
+  final creatingClass = dartEnumType.element;
   if (creatingClass is! EnumElement) {
     reportError('Not an enum: `${creatingClass!.displayName}`');
   }
 
   // `const EnumIndexConverter<EnumType>(EnumType.values)`
+  // or
+  // `const EnumNameConverter<EnumType>(EnumType.values)`
   final expression = AnnotatedDartCode.build((builder) {
+    builder.addText('const ');
+    if (columnEnumType == EnumType.intEnum) {
+      builder.addSymbol('EnumIndexConverter', AnnotatedDartCode.drift);
+    } else {
+      builder.addSymbol('EnumNameConverter', AnnotatedDartCode.drift);
+    }
     builder
-      ..addText('const ')
-      ..addSymbol('EnumIndexConverter', AnnotatedDartCode.drift)
       ..addText('<')
-      ..addDartType(enumType)
+      ..addDartType(dartEnumType)
       ..addText('>(')
-      ..addDartType(enumType)
+      ..addDartType(dartEnumType)
       ..addText('.values)');
   });
 
   return AppliedTypeConverter(
     expression: expression,
-    dartType: enumType,
+    dartType: dartEnumType,
     jsonType: null,
     sqlType: DriftSqlType.int,
     dartTypeIsNullable: false,