# Refer to enums by short name?

**URL:** <https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/t/refer-to-enums-by-short-name/145>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [August 27, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/t/refer-to-enums-by-short-name/145 "2015-08-27T21:05:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rnikander](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.kotlinlang.org/rnikander/32/6881_2.png) [@rnikander](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/u/rnikander)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/t/refer-to-enums-by-short-name/145/1 "2015-08-27T21:05:37Z")

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Any plans/desire to have enum syntax sort of like Swift, where you don't need to fully qualify the name if the type is known?

&nbsp;&nbsp;enum class Color { Red, Blue }  
  
   
&nbsp;&nbsp;fun paint(c: Color) { }  
  
   
&nbsp;&nbsp;paint(.Red) &nbsp;&nbsp;// for example

Rob

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**Author:** ![andrewoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c37758/32.png) [@andrewoma](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/u/andrewoma)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 4:27am UTC](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/t/refer-to-enums-by-short-name/145/2 "2015-08-29T04:27:08Z")

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Hi Rob,

You can use a wildcard import. e.g. import foo.Color.\*

Note: this doesn’t seem to be possible in the same file that defines the enum, but works elsewhere.

Cheers,  
Andrew

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**Author:** ![mikhail.glukhikh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.kotlinlang.org/mikhail.glukhikh/32/1661_2.png) [@mikhail.glukhikh](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/u/mikhail.glukhikh)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 8:53am UTC](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/t/refer-to-enums-by-short-name/145/3 "2015-09-01T08:53:11Z")

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Hi Rob,

It’s planned (but not implemented yet) to have short syntax inside when, as in Java, e.g.

&nbsp;&nbsp;fun paint(c: Color) = when (c) {  
&nbsp;&nbsp;RED -\> …  
 &nbsp;&nbsp;GREEN -\> …  
&nbsp;&nbsp;}

Also you can use wildcard import, as Andrew has written.

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**Author:** ![rnikander](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.kotlinlang.org/rnikander/32/6881_2.png) [@rnikander](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/u/rnikander)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 11:40am UTC](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/t/refer-to-enums-by-short-name/145/4 "2015-09-01T11:40:15Z")

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Okay, thanks guys.

Rob