Literal enums

[PanayotCankov]

We are using string enums a lot. The following example is what gets pretty close:

/**
 * Allowed directions.
 */
export declare type FlexDirection = "row" | "column";
export namespace FlexDirection {
 /**
 * Align items in a row.
 */
 export const ROW: "row" = "row";

 /**
 * Align items in a column.
 */
 export const COLUMN: "column" = "column";
}

declare function go(direction: FlexDirection); // Hover "FlexDirection to see docs.
go(FlexDirection.ROW); // Hover "ROW" to see docs.
go("row");

Is there a better way to add documentation to a string literal type? Sometimes the meaning of the values is not all that visible, or requires examples. The only thing I miss in a literal type such as "row" | "column" at the moment is I can not easily associate docs with the 2 values.

Does it sound feasible to add a shorthand syntax for this similar to:

/**
 * Allowed directions.
 */
export literal /* whatever the keywords */ enum FlexDirection {
 /**
 * Align items in a row.
 */
 ROW = "row",

 /**
 * Align items in a column.
 */
 COLUMN = "column"
}

[mhegazy]

Duplicate of #3192

[kitsonk]

You mean #7642 right (of which #9407 resolved it)? #3192 was string literals.

[mhegazy]

my bad, it should be #1206.

#7642 does handle some of the cases, but there still a need for a string/symbol enum.