# 
## What is the `ordinal()` method?

The order of an instance of `enum` is returned via the **`ordinal()` function**. This instance method reflects the order in the `enum` declaration in which the starting constant is given the ordinal `0` in the enum declaration.

This concept is similar to array indexes.

# 
#  Method signature

---
``` Java
public final int ordinal()
```
---

# 
## Parameters

This method accepts no arguments.

##
## Return value

This function returns the ordinal of the string constant in the `enum` declaration.

# 
## `enum` and its values

```java
enum Direction{
        UP, DOWN, RIGHT, LEFT;
}
```

In the `enum` declaration above, the ordinal values for different constants are as follows.

| **Enum**  | **Ordinal Value**  |
| - | - |
| UP  | 0  |
| DOWN  | 1  |
| RIGHT  | 2  |
| LEFT  | 3 |


public class Main {

    enum Direction{
        UP, DOWN, RIGHT, LEFT;
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Ordinal value for " + Direction.UP.name() + " is " + Direction.UP.ordinal());
        System.out.println("Ordinal value for " + Direction.DOWN.name() + " is " + Direction.DOWN.ordinal());
        System.out.println("Ordinal value for " + Direction.RIGHT.name() + " is " + Direction.RIGHT.ordinal());
        System.out.println("Ordinal value for " + Direction.LEFT.name() + " is " + Direction.LEFT.ordinal());

    }
}


What is the ordinal() method in enum in Java?

What is the `ordinal()` method?

Method signature

Parameters

Return value

`enum` and its values

Code

Enum	Ordinal Value
UP	0
DOWN	1
RIGHT	2
LEFT	3