CODEWITHSUNDEEP
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Reputation: 271

C++ enum syntax

After I declare

enum color {red, blue, green};

is there any difference between

color a=blue;

and

enum color a=blue;

Upvotes: 4

Views: 3511

Answers (3)

user743382
user743382

Reputation:

Assuming no other declaration of color is available, they mean the same thing. However, it is valid to provide a different definition of color, and enum color can be used to make sure the type is used.

enum color { red, blue, green };
color color(const char *);
enum color a = red;

On the second line, specifying the return type as color is valid, and refers to enum color. On the third line, the enum keyword is required, because color would otherwise refer to the function declared on the second line.

But for practical purposes, enum color and color pretty much mean the same thing.

Upvotes: 5

Mats Petersson
Mats Petersson

Reputation: 129524

In the C language (as opposed to C++), to create a name color, you have to type typedef enum scolor {red, blue, green} color;, or use the definition the question contains, using enum colour a = blue; - otherwise, the compiler won't know what color is.

In C++, any struct X, class Y, or enum Z, will automatically alias X as struct X and Y as class Y and Z as enum Z - thus reducing the need to typedef struct X X;, etc (although this would still be valid, since C++ is, as a whole, backwards compatible with C).

Both forms are equally valid in C++. It's a matter of style which you prefer.

Upvotes: 2

Ozan Deniz
Ozan Deniz

Reputation: 1087

enum MyEnumType { ALPHA, BETA, GAMMA };

enum MyEnumType x;  /* legal in both C and C++ */
MyEnumType y;       // legal only in C++

enum { HOMER, MARGE, BART, LISA, MAGGIE };

Upvotes: 9

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