namespaces for enum types - best practices

FYI In C++0x there is a new syntax for cases like what you mentioned (see C++0x wiki page)

enum class eColors { ... };
enum class eFeelings { ... };

I would definitely avoid using a class for this; use a namespace instead. The question boils down to whether to use a namespace or to use unique ids for the enum values. Personally, I'd use a namespace so that my ids could be shorter and hopefully more self-explanatory. Then application code could use a 'using namespace' directive and make everything more readable.

From your example above:

using namespace Colors;

void setPenColor( const e c ) {
    switch (c) {
        default: assert(false);
        break; case cRed: //...
        break; case cBlue: //...
        //...
    }
}

Original C++03 answer:

The benefit from a namespace (over a class) is that you can use using declarations when you want.

The problem with using a namespace is that namespaces can be expanded elsewhere in the code. In a large project, you would not be guaranteed that two distinct enums don't both think they are called eFeelings

For simpler-looking code, I use a struct, as you presumably want the contents to be public.

If you're doing any of these practices, you are ahead of the curve and probably don't need to scrutinize this further.

Newer, C++11 advice:

If you are using C++11 or later, enum class will implicitly scope the enum values within the enum's name.

With enum class you will lose implicit conversions and comparisons to integer types, but in practice that may help you discover ambiguous or buggy code.

I've hybridized the preceding answers to something like this: (EDIT: This is only useful for pre- C++11. If you are using C++11, use enum class)

I've got one big header file that contains all my project enums, because these enums are shared between worker classes and it doesn't make sense to put the enums in the worker classes themselves.

The struct avoids the public: syntactic sugar, and the typedef lets you actually declare variables of these enums within other worker classes.

I don't think using a namespace helps at all. Maybe this is because I'm a C# programmer, and there you have to use the enum type name when referring the values, so I'm used to it.

    struct KeySource {
        typedef enum { 
            None, 
            Efuse, 
            Bbram
        } Type;
    };

    struct Checksum {
        typedef enum {
            None =0,
            MD5 = 1,
            SHA1 = 2,
            SHA2 = 3
        } Type;
    };

    struct Encryption {
        typedef enum {
            Undetermined,
            None,
            AES
        } Type;
    };

    struct File {
        typedef enum {
            Unknown = 0,
            MCS,
            MEM,
            BIN,
            HEX
        } Type;
    };

...

class Worker {
    File::Type fileType;
    void DoIt() {
       switch(fileType) {
       case File::MCS: ... ;
       case File::MEM: ... ;
       case File::HEX: ... ;
    }
}