[ACCEPTED]-Why use enum when #define is just as efficient?-enums

Accepted answer

Score: 32

The advantages of enum show up when you have 9 a long list of things you want to map into 8 numbers, and you want to be able to insert 7 something in the middle of that list. For 6 example, you have:

pears 0
apples 1
oranges 2
grapes 3
peaches 4
apricots 5

Now you want to put tangerines after 5 oranges. With #defines, you'd have to redefine the numbers 4 of grapes, peaches, and apricots. Using enum, it would happen 3 automatically. Yes, this is a contrived 2 example, but hopefully it gives you the 1 idea.

Score: 17

I find it useful for debugging in an environment 3 such as gdb since enum values are handled 2 at compile time (where #define is a preprocessor 1 macro) and thus available for introspection.

Score: 4

Although your question is tagged as C, there 4 is a big advantage when writing in C++, you 3 can place enum:s inside classes or namespaces.

This 2 way you could refer to your constants like 1 SpaceshipClass::galaxy.

Score: 0

enum is an integer constant. so, there would 1 be a type check during compilation process.

Source: stackoverflow.com

[ACCEPTED]-Why use enum when #define is just as efficient?-enums

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