Enums

Syntax:

• In C and C++:

  enum type_name {
      value1,
      value2,
      value3,
      .
      .
  } variables_with_this_type;
  

• In C++11 and forward:

  enum class type_name {
      value1,
      value2,
      value3,
      .
      .
  } variables_with_this_type;
  

  • or

  enum struct type_name {
      value1,
      value2,
      value3,
      .
      .
  } variables_with_this_type;
  

  • "To create real enum types that are neither implicitly convertible to int and that neither have enumerator values of type int, but of the enum type itself, thus preserving type safety."

  • The choice between class and struct here is purely syntactic; unlike normal class/struct types, there is no difference in default access or behavior.

Examples:

enum Color { Red, Green, Blue };  // implicitly convert to int.
enum class  Color : uint8_t { Red, Green, Blue }; // doesn't not implicit convert to int.
enum struct Color : uint8_t { Red, Green, Blue }; // doesn't not implicit convert to int.