How to Implement Enum Flags in C Without External Libraries?

How to Implement Enum Flags in C Without External Libraries

In C , unlike in C# where the [Flags] attribute streamlines using enums as flags, there's a need for a custom approach to achieve similar functionality.

To define flags as enums, we can create bit operators for the enum:

enum AnimalFlags
{
    HasClaws = 1,
    CanFly = 2,
    EatsFish = 4,
    Endangered = 8
};

inline AnimalFlags operator|(AnimalFlags a, AnimalFlags b)
{
    return static_cast<AnimalFlags>(static_cast<int>(a) | static_cast<int>(b));
}
// Define the rest of the bit operators here

This allows us to use operators like | to combine flags:

// Declare a variable of type AnimalFlags
AnimalFlags seahawk;

// Set the flags using the | operator
seahawk = CanFly | EatsFish | Endangered;

This ensures both type safety and the intended usage of the flags.

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