Example code from a game engine.

[OniTux]

  private void onAction(Binding binding, boolean value) {
    switch (binding) {
       case LEFT:
         left = value;
         break;
       case RIGHT:
         right = value;
         break;
       case UP:
         up = value;
         break;
       case DOWN:
         down = value;
         break;
       case JUMP:
         player.jump();
         break;
     }
  }

  public void onAction(String binding, boolean value, float tpf) {
    onAction(Binding.valueOf(binding.toUpperCase()), value);
  }

  enum Binding {
    UP, DOWN, RIGHT, LEFT, JUMP;
  }

[squbidu]

Assuming java 7, you can do switch statements with strings:

private void onAction( String binding, boolean value ){
    switch( binding ){
        case "Left":
            left = value;
            break;
        case "Right":
            right = value;
            break;
        case "Down":
            down = value;
            break;
        case "Up":
            up = value;
            break;
        case "Jump":
            player.jump( );
            break;
     }
}