Enumerations

[Babel]

How do I get the actual value from an enum instead of just a number?

[Smac89]

What do you mean by "actual value"??

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

enum {A = 'a', B, C, D, E};

int main() {
	cout << B << endl;
	cout << static_cast<char>(B) << endl;
	return 0;
}

[Babel]

The value you assign instead of just a number to represent it.

[Smac89]

I believe that is what I have shown above, you can cast it to the desired type in order to see the value assigned to the enumerated type.

The output of the above code is:

98
b

[long double main]

Do you mean something like

#include <iostream>

int main()
{
    enum myEnum {SOMETHING, SOMETHING_ELSE, BLAH};
    
    myEnum m = BLAH;
    std::cout << /* something involving 'm' */; // Prints "BLAH"
}

?

I'm pretty sure that's not possible, or at least not directly.

[Babel]

Yeah, that's what I mean. If there's no way to do it then thanks to both of you for your help.

[long double main]

You might be able to fake it using a std::vector (if your enums have their default values) or std::map (if you've assigned custom values for your enums):

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>

int main()
{
    enum myEnum {SOMETHING, SOMETHING_ELSE, BLAH};
    std::vector<std::string> enumStrings = {"SOMETHING", "SOMETHING_ELSE", "BLAH"};

    myEnum m = BLAH;
    std::cout << enumStrings[m]; // Prints "BLAH"
}

[JLBorges]

Something like this (the example uses a scoped enum; treatment would be identical for unscoped enums):

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <stdexcept>

enum class colour { WHITE, GREY, BLACK } ;

std::string to_string( colour clr )
{
    switch(clr)
    {
        case colour::WHITE: return "colour::WHITE" ;
        case colour::GREY: return "colour::GREY" ;
        case colour::BLACK: return "colour::BLACK" ;
    }

    throw std::domain_error( "uninitialized colour" ) ;
}

std::ostream& operator<< ( std::ostream& stm, colour clr )
{ return stm << to_string(clr) ; }

int main()
{
     const auto clr_cloud = colour::GREY ;
     std::cout << clr_cloud << '\n' ;
}

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