Define an Enum for Status Codes in Python

Create a readable StatusCode enum with HTTP-style status values and iterate over its members using the standard library Enum class.

Easy Python 3.4+ Aug 9, 2026 OOP & classes 15 views 0 copies

enum status-codes oop stdlib

Python code

16 lines

Python 3.4+

from enum import Enum

class StatusCode(Enum):
    OK = 200
    CREATED = 201
    BAD_REQUEST = 400
    UNAUTHORIZED = 401
    NOT_FOUND = 404
    INTERNAL_ERROR = 500

if __name__ == "__main__":
    code = StatusCode.NOT_FOUND
    print(f"Name: {code.name}")
    print(f"Value: {code.value}")
    print(f"Is it OK? {code is StatusCode.OK}")
    print(f"All codes: {list(StatusCode)}")

Output

stdout

Name: NOT_FOUND
Value: 404
Is it OK? False
All codes: [<StatusCode.OK: 200>, <StatusCode.CREATED: 201>, <StatusCode.BAD_REQUEST: 400>, <StatusCode.UNAUTHORIZED: 401>, <StatusCode.NOT_FOUND: 404>, <StatusCode.INTERNAL_ERROR: 500>]

How it works

The Enum class from the standard library gives each member a fixed identity and a .name plus .value attribute. Using is comparisons works reliably because each enum member is a singleton. Iterating with list(StatusCode) returns members in definition order, useful for validation loops. This pattern centralizes status values so you avoid magic numbers scattered across the codebase.

Common mistakes

Using string comparison like `code == 'NOT_FOUND'` instead of `code is StatusCode.NOT_FOUND`
Defining enum values as strings when an integer is more natural for HTTP codes
Forgetting that enum members are singletons, so `==` and `is` both work but `is` is more explicit

Variations

Use `IntEnum` for status codes when you need to compare directly with integers
Add custom methods to the enum for grouping, like `def is_error(self)` for codes >= 400

Real-world use cases

Mapping HTTP response codes to readable labels in an API client or server handler.
Replacing hardcoded magic numbers in a payment gateway integration with named statuses.
Validating webhook event types by iterating over all members of a status enum.

Define an Enum for Status Codes in Python

Python code

Output

How it works

Common mistakes

Variations

Real-world use cases

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Python code

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How it works

Common mistakes

Variations

Real-world use cases

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