mySQL enum storage size

[devinemke]

lets say I have an enum field with possible values:
enum('choice1', 'choice2', 'choice3')

Does each individual record take up more space then if I did:
enum('1', '2', '3')

in other words, does mySQL simply refer back to the choices in the table definition or does it actually store a string in each record of that choice?

[Sxooter]

enums are stored as ints, if I remember correctly, so you wind up with no more space used, except in the tiny little map that maps ints to the enum entries.

note that there's a quirky thing about how mysql handles and verifies enums that makes using '1','2','3' kinda dangerous.

http://sql-info.de/mysql/gotchas.html#1_3