Question

I have an enum class like this:

    typedef unsigned int binary_instructions_t;

    enum class BinaryInstructions : binary_instructions_t
    {
        END_INSTRUCTION = 0x0,

        RESET,

        SET_STEP_TIME,
        SET_STOP_TIME,
        START,

        ADD
    };

And I am trying to use the members of the enum in a switch statement like this:

const std::string& function(binary_instructions_t arg, bool& error_detect)
{
    switch(arg)
    {
        case (unsigned int)BinaryInstructions::END_INSTRUCTION:
            return "end";
        break;
    }
    translate_error = true;
    return "ERROR";
}

Why is the cast to (unsigned int) required when the underlying type is already an unsigned int?

Answer 1

That’s because “enum class” is “strongly-typed”, so not implicitly convertible to any other type. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%2B%2B11#Strongly_typed_enumerations