how to declare an enum variable c++

To declare an enum variable in C++, follow these steps:

  1. Begin by using the keyword enum followed by the name of the enum type. For example, enum Color.

  2. Inside the curly braces {}, list the possible values for the enum. Each value is separated by a comma. For example, enum Color { RED, GREEN, BLUE }.

  3. Optionally, you can assign specific integer values to the enum values. By default, the first value has the value 0, the second has the value 1, and so on. However, you can explicitly assign different values if needed. For example, enum Color { RED = 100, GREEN = 200, BLUE = 300 }.

  4. Finally, declare a variable of the enum type you just defined. Simply write the enum type followed by the variable name. For example, Color myColor;.

Here's an example that puts it all together:

enum Color { RED, GREEN, BLUE };

int main() {
    Color myColor;
    myColor = GREEN;
    return 0;
}

In this example, we declare an enum type Color with three possible values: RED, GREEN, and BLUE. We then declare a variable myColor of type Color and assign it the value GREEN.

By using enums, you can create a set of named constants that are more meaningful and self-descriptive than using plain integers. Enums provide a way to define a limited set of values that a variable can take, improving code readability and maintainability.