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diff --git a/docs/source/lang/cpp/enum.rst b/docs/source/lang/cpp/enum.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ba82383 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/source/lang/cpp/enum.rst @@ -0,0 +1,53 @@ +.. highlight:: cpp + +.. _lang-enum: + +``enum`` +======== + +The ``enum`` keyword is used to specify an enumeration type. An +enumeration type is a type whose values are taken from a specified, +fixed list of constant values. + +Example +------- + +Here's an example defining an enumeration type called ``weather``, +which has values ``HOT``, ``COMFY``, and ``COLD``:: + + enum weather {HOT, COMFY, COLD}; + +Once you've defined this type, you can create variables of type +``weather``, in the same way you would with an :ref:`int <lang-int>` +or a :ref:`long <lang-long>`:: + + // create a weather variable named theWeather, with value COMFY: + weather theWeather = COMFY; + +Enumeration types are useful within :ref:`switch statements +<lang-switchcase>`. If you know that an argument is of an enumeration +type, you can make ``case`` statements for all of that type's possible +values, so you know you won't miss anything:: + + void describeWeather(weather currentWeather) { + switch(currentWeather) { + case HOT: + SerialUSB.println("it's hot out"); + break; + case COMFY: + SerialUSB.println("it's nice today"); + break; + case COLD: + SerialUSB.println("it's freezing!"); + break; + } + } + +Such a ``switch`` statement would need no :ref:`default +<lang-switchcase-default>`, since we know that ``currentWeather`` must +be either ``HOT``, ``COMFY``, or ``COLD``. + +See Also +-------- + +- :ref:`lang-switchcase` |