Type Safe C++ enum Extensions -- Alf Steinbach

steinbach1.jpgIs it possible to extend a value type in C++? Alf Steinbach describes how to extend enum values.

Type Safe C++ enum Extensions

by Alf Steinbach

From the article:

Consider if an enum like the following,

  enum class Suit{
  spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs };

could be extended like

  enum class Suit_with_joker extends Suit {
    joker };

where

  • Suit_with_joker has all the enumerators of Suit plus the joker enumerator; and
  • enumerators introduced in Suit_with_joker get integer values following those of Suit; and
  • any Suit value is also a Suit_with_joker value.

This would be an example of what I’ll call a value type extension.

The apparently backwards is-a relationship in the last point, where any value of the original type is-a value of the derived type, is characteristic of value type extensions.

C++20 totally lacks support for value type extensions, of enum types or other types.

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