How Can I Efficiently Convert Enums to Strings in Modern C ?

Modern C Approaches for Converting Enums to Strings

Contemporary C offers innovative techniques for efficiently converting enums to strings. These methods leverage the compiler's capabilities and eliminate the need for manual mapping or runtime overheads.

Magic Enum Library

The Magic Enum header-only library provides static reflection for enums in C 17. It allows for easy conversion to and from strings, as well as iteration over enum values.

#include <magic_enum.hpp>

enum class Color { RED = 2, BLUE = 4, GREEN = 8 };

Color color = Color::RED;
std::string color_name = magic_enum::enum_name(color); // color_name -> "RED"

std::format Library (C 20)

The std::format library introduced in C 20 provides a more standardized approach to string formatting. It can be used in conjunction with the enum_name function, which returns a std::string_view representing the enum name.

#include <format>
#include <magic_enum.hpp>

enum class Color { RED = 2, BLUE = 4, GREEN = 8 };

Color color = Color::RED;
std::string color_name = std::format("{}", magic_enum::enum_name(color)); // color_name -> "RED"

C 17 Fold Expressions and Variadic Templates

For C 17, fold expressions and variadic templates can be combined to create a table-driven approach for enum to string conversion. This technique is slightly more verbose than the Magic Enum library but provides more control over the conversion process.

cppformat Library

The cppformat library offers a template-based macro system for string formatting. It supports enum to string conversion through specialized macros.

#include <cppformat/format.h>

enum class Color { RED = 2, BLUE = 4, GREEN = 8 };

Color color = Color::RED;
std::string color_name = FMT_STRING(color); // color_name -> "RED"

Choosing the most suitable approach depends on specific requirements, such as support for negative values or fragmented enum ranges. For general-purpose enum to string conversion in modern C , the Magic Enum library is recommended for its simplicity and efficiency.

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