Deprecate describeEnum and update EnumProperty to be type strict

What changed?

The global method `describeEnum` has been deprecated. Previous uses of `describeEnum(Enum.something)` should use `Enum.something.name` instead.

Original behavior

Dart 2.17 introduced enhanced enums, which added `Enum` as a type. As a result, all enums got a `name` getter, which made `describeEnum` redundant. Before that, enum classes were often analyzed using an `EnumProperty`.

New behavior

Remove `describeEnum`.

Will this affect my application?

Who is affected: Code that still calls the deprecated API; it keeps working until removal but produces analyzer warnings. Code that uses Enum.something.name, EnumProperty, Enum and related APIs.
Practical impact: Warnings now; removal in a future release. Plan the migration but no immediate break.
What action should I take?: Follow the official migration guide below, update affected call sites, run `dart fix --apply` where a fix is available, then run your tests.

APIs mentioned:Enum.something.name EnumProperty Enum Enum.something Enum.field.name

How do I migrate safely?

Before and after (from the official guide)

dart+2−2

Before

1		enum MyEnum { paper, rock }
2
3	−	print(describeEnum(MyEnum.paper)); // output: paper
4
5		// TextInputType is not an Enum
6	−	properties.add(EnumProperty<TextInputType>( ... ));

After

1		enum MyEnum { paper, rock }
2
3	+	print(MyEnum.paper.name); // output: paper
4
5		// TextInputType is not an Enum
6	+	properties.add(DiagnosticsProperty<TextInputType>( ... ));

Raw before / after

enum MyEnum { paper, rock }

print(describeEnum(MyEnum.paper)); // output: paper

// TextInputType is not an Enum
properties.add(EnumProperty<TextInputType>( ... ));

enum MyEnum { paper, rock }

print(MyEnum.paper.name); // output: paper

// TextInputType is not an Enum
properties.add(DiagnosticsProperty<TextInputType>( ... ));

Official migration guide (excerpt, © The Flutter Authors, CC BY 3.0)

If you previously used describeEnum(Enum.field) to access the string value from an enum, you can now call Enum.field.name.

If you previously used EnumProperty<NotAnEnum>, you can now use the generic DiagnosticsProperty<NotAnEnum>.

Code before migration:

enum MyEnum { paper, rock }

print(describeEnum(MyEnum.paper)); // output: paper

// TextInputType is not an Enum
properties.add(EnumProperty&#x3C;TextInputType>( ... ));

Code after migration:

enum MyEnum { paper, rock }

print(MyEnum.paper.name); // output: paper

// TextInputType is not an Enum
properties.add(DiagnosticsProperty&#x3C;TextInputType>( ... ));

Migration assistantAI-generated · grounded in cited sources

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Evidence & verification

Official migration guide·Verified classification (90%)

Listed in the official breaking-changes index; title states deprecation.

An official announcement or migration guide documents an intended behaviour or API change. A verified source change (git diff) shows code changed but does not by itself prove a public API is breaking. AI interpretations are labelled and never used to classify a change.

Validation warnings

api-symbols: {"reason":"no referenced symbol found in the current API index","unresolved":["Enum.something.name","EnumProperty","Enum","Enum.something","Enum.field.name"]}

Source commit: b3045439b7c0
Source last updated: Oct 21, 2026
Last synchronized: Oct 21, 2026
Publication status: published

Publication history

Oct 21, 2026, 8:31 PM: new → published (ingestion) — Backed by an official breaking-change/migration guide.

AI explanationAI-generated · grounded in cited sources

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