C++: Print out enum value as text

Solution 1:

Using map:

#include <iostream>
#include <map>
#include <string>

enum Errors {ErrorA=0, ErrorB, ErrorC};

std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const Errors value){
    static std::map<Errors, std::string> strings;
    if (strings.size() == 0){
#define INSERT_ELEMENT(p) strings[p] = #p
        INSERT_ELEMENT(ErrorA);     
        INSERT_ELEMENT(ErrorB);     
        INSERT_ELEMENT(ErrorC);             
#undef INSERT_ELEMENT
    }   

    return out << strings[value];
}

int main(int argc, char** argv){
    std::cout << ErrorA << std::endl << ErrorB << std::endl << ErrorC << std::endl;
    return 0;   
}

Using array of structures with linear search:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

enum Errors {ErrorA=0, ErrorB, ErrorC};

std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const Errors value){
#define MAPENTRY(p) {p, #p}
    const struct MapEntry{
        Errors value;
        const char* str;
    } entries[] = {
        MAPENTRY(ErrorA),
        MAPENTRY(ErrorB),
        MAPENTRY(ErrorC),
        {ErrorA, 0}//doesn't matter what is used instead of ErrorA here...
    };
#undef MAPENTRY
    const char* s = 0;
    for (const MapEntry* i = entries; i->str; i++){
        if (i->value == value){
            s = i->str;
            break;
        }
    }

    return out << s;
}

int main(int argc, char** argv){
    std::cout << ErrorA << std::endl << ErrorB << std::endl << ErrorC << std::endl;
    return 0;   
}

Using switch/case:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

enum Errors {ErrorA=0, ErrorB, ErrorC};

std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const Errors value){
    const char* s = 0;
#define PROCESS_VAL(p) case(p): s = #p; break;
    switch(value){
        PROCESS_VAL(ErrorA);     
        PROCESS_VAL(ErrorB);     
        PROCESS_VAL(ErrorC);
    }
#undef PROCESS_VAL

    return out << s;
}

int main(int argc, char** argv){
    std::cout << ErrorA << std::endl << ErrorB << std::endl << ErrorC << std::endl;
    return 0;   
}

Solution 2:

Use an array or vector of strings with matching values:

char *ErrorTypes[] =
{
    "errorA",
    "errorB",
    "errorC"
};

cout << ErrorTypes[anError];

EDIT: The solution above is applicable when the enum is contiguous, i.e. starts from 0 and there are no assigned values. It will work perfectly with the enum in the question.

To further proof it for the case that enum doesn't start from 0, use:

cout << ErrorTypes[anError - ErrorA];

Solution 3:

Here is an example based on Boost.Preprocessor:

#include <iostream>

#include <boost/preprocessor/punctuation/comma.hpp>
#include <boost/preprocessor/control/iif.hpp>
#include <boost/preprocessor/comparison/equal.hpp>
#include <boost/preprocessor/stringize.hpp>
#include <boost/preprocessor/seq/for_each.hpp>
#include <boost/preprocessor/seq/size.hpp>
#include <boost/preprocessor/seq/seq.hpp>


#define DEFINE_ENUM(name, values)                               \
  enum name {                                                   \
    BOOST_PP_SEQ_FOR_EACH(DEFINE_ENUM_VALUE, , values)          \
  };                                                            \
  inline const char* format_##name(name val) {                  \
    switch (val) {                                              \
      BOOST_PP_SEQ_FOR_EACH(DEFINE_ENUM_FORMAT, , values)       \
    default:                                                    \
        return 0;                                               \
    }                                                           \
  }

#define DEFINE_ENUM_VALUE(r, data, elem)                        \
  BOOST_PP_SEQ_HEAD(elem)                                       \
  BOOST_PP_IIF(BOOST_PP_EQUAL(BOOST_PP_SEQ_SIZE(elem), 2),      \
               = BOOST_PP_SEQ_TAIL(elem), )                     \
  BOOST_PP_COMMA()

#define DEFINE_ENUM_FORMAT(r, data, elem)             \
  case BOOST_PP_SEQ_HEAD(elem):                       \
  return BOOST_PP_STRINGIZE(BOOST_PP_SEQ_HEAD(elem));


DEFINE_ENUM(Errors,
            ((ErrorA)(0))
            ((ErrorB))
            ((ErrorC)))

int main() {
  std::cout << format_Errors(ErrorB) << std::endl;
}

Solution 4:

You can use a simpler pre-processor trick if you are willing to list your enum entries in an external file.

/* file: errors.def */
/* syntax: ERROR_DEF(name, value) */
ERROR_DEF(ErrorA, 0x1)
ERROR_DEF(ErrorB, 0x2)
ERROR_DEF(ErrorC, 0x4)

Then in a source file, you treat the file like an include file, but you define what you want the ERROR_DEF to do.

enum Errors {
#define ERROR_DEF(x,y) x = y,
#include "errors.def"
#undef ERROR_DEF
};

static inline std::ostream & operator << (std::ostream &o, Errors e) {
    switch (e) {
    #define ERROR_DEF(x,y) case y: return o << #x"[" << y << "]";
    #include "errors.def"
    #undef ERROR_DEF
    default: return o << "unknown[" << e << "]";
    }
}

If you use some source browsing tool (like cscope), you'll have to let it know about the external file.

Solution 5:

This is a good way,

enum Rank { ACE = 1, DEUCE, TREY, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN, JACK, QUEEN, KING };

Print it with an array of character arrays

const char* rank_txt[] = {"Ace", "Deuce", "Trey", "Four", "Five", "Six", "Seven", "Eight", "Nine", "Ten", "Jack", "Four", "King" } ;

Like this

std::cout << rank_txt[m_rank - 1]