Getting the address of an enum constant

[srikar]

hi all
when I am running the below program

#include<iostream>
enum one
{
a=1000,b=2000,c,d,z};
int main()
{
one* a1;one* a2;one* a3;
a1=&a;a2=&b;a3=&c;
int fun1(one*,one*,one*);
int x;
cout<<"the starting values are"<<a<<"\t"<<b<<"\t"<<c<<"\t"<<d<<"\t"<<z;
x=fun1(a1,a2,a3);
cout<<"the sum of the values are\t"<<d;
return 0;}
int fun1(one *a,one *b,one *c)
{
return (*b-*a);
}

I am getting the following errors
non-lvalue in unary `&'
enumptr.cpp:9: non-lvalue in unary `&'

Actually I want to pass the address of the variables a,b,c using the pointers
a1,a2,a3 using the function fun1
I am assigning the adress of a,b,c to a1,a2,a3 using "&" operator
Is it the wright way of assigning the address in C++

please help me

[arne]

Actually I want to pass the address of the variables a,b,c using the pointers
a1,a2,a3 using the function fun1

The problem is that a,b, ... are no variables, but enumeration constants. Try something like

int a = 1000;
int *a1;
a1 = &a;
 

This should work.

[srikar]

The problem is that a,b, ... are no variables, but enumeration constants. Try something like

int a = 1000;
int *a1;
a1 = &a;
 

This should work.

Thanks for the fast reply,
Its working with int format
what about the enum, is it that enum constats cant be stored in pointers

regards
srikar

[arne]

Thanks for the fast reply,
Its working with int format
what about the enum, is it that enum constats cant be stored in pointers

regards
srikar

Enumerations simply asssociate names with integer values. Therfore, names in enumerations are very similar to constants defined using #define. The only two advantages of enums I am aware of are that
- the assignment of the values happens automatically, and
- the names may persist through to the debugger (which may help with debugging).

You can, however, define enumeration variables and access the address of them, but at the moment I have no idea what that may be good for ...

[srikar]

Enumerations simply asssociate names with integer values. Therfore, names in enumerations are very similar to constants defined using #define. The only two advantages of enums I am aware of are that
- the assignment of the values happens automatically, and
- the names may persist through to the debugger (which may help with debugging).

You can, however, define enumeration variables and access the address of them, but at the moment I have no idea what that may be good for ...

Thanks for the information given
So enum values cannot be assigned to pointer variables.
Can we make casting for enum variables to data types other than int.
regards
srikar

[arne]

Thanks for the information given
So enum values cannot be assigned to pointer variables.
Can we make casting for enum variables to data types other than int.
regards
srikar

Enumerators (enumeration constants) are no variables, they're constants. They can be used whenever you use an integral type.

How would such a "cast to data types other than int" look like?

[srikar]

Hi thanks once again.

Can we type cast a enum value with (void*) inorder to get the adress on
a 32 bit machine. Is it possible.

regards
srikar

[srikar]

hi all,
how to get the address of an enum constant.
Can we make type casting of enum constant to (void*) on 32 bit machine where
both enum and address are of same size.
please help me

[arne]

Hi thanks once again.

Can we type cast a enum value with (void*) inorder to get the adress on
a 32 bit machine. Is it possible.

regards
srikar

Sure, you can instantiate an enum (just as a struct or a union):

#include <stdio.h>
 
enum Num { jan, feb, mar };
 
int main( void )
{
    enum Num a;
 
    printf( "%p\n", &a );
 
    return 0;
}
 

But for what could you use that?

[Banfa]

You can't, an enum defined value has no memory space, therefore it has no address.

[Banfa]

But for what could you use that?

You would use it in the same way you would use a pointer to an integer type (e.g. int *). If you want to pass an array of that type to a function or if you want a function to fill in a variable of that type.

[Banfa]

And finally please don't double post.

[arne]

You can define a variable of type enum, but it is considered to have type int then. Of this variable you can of course take the address (as it allocates memory space, see my example above), but not of the enumeration constant itself.

[Banfa]

You can define a variable of type enum, but it is considered to have type int then. Of this variable you can of course take the address (as it allocates memory space, see my example above), but not of the enumeration constant itself.

Agreed except that I was under the impression that it was on C where variables of type enum are considered to be int (actually I know for a fact on some compilers it is an integer type (char, short, int, long) of large enough size to hold all the values of the enum).

I thought on C++ enums where there own type, not integer types.

[arne]

Agreed except that I was under the impression that it was on C where variables of type enum are considered to be int (actually I know for a fact on some compilers it is an integer type (char, short, int, long) of large enough size to hold all the values of the enum).

I thought on C++ enums where there own type, not integer types.

Didn't know, looked it up, you are right:

"Each enumeration is a distinct type. The type of an enumerator is its enumeration. For example, AUTO is of type keyword" in

enum keyword{ ASM, AUTO, BREAK };
 

From Stroustrup's "The C++ Programming Language". :)

[srikar]

Didn't know, looked it up, you are right:

"Each enumeration is a distinct type. The type of an enumerator is its enumeration. For example, AUTO is of type keyword" in

enum keyword{ ASM, AUTO, BREAK };
 

From Stroustrup's "The C++ Programming Language". :)

Thank you arne & banfa for ur explanations.
Still I am having some questions in mind
When i declare the variable by using enum key word along with the varibale
I am able to get the address of the variable, but when i derefernce this address i.e by using pointer "*" to access the value of enum I am not getting the right values. I am getting some garbage values.

Is it that both are different i.e when we separetely declare the variable in main
and when it is declared with in the enum outside the main.

I am doing porting from 16bit machine to 64 bit machine.
For me I git the instances where

all_edge_enum edge_val = (all_edge_string (edge_name));
here all_edge_enum is enum variable i,e enum all_edge_enum.
The all_edge_string is returning (void*). So Befoe assigning the void* to enum_val I need to type cast to *(all_edge_enum*). Is this type of casting is
the correct way. Can I cast in such a way for enum.

[arne]

I am able to get the address of the variable, but when i derefernce this address i.e by using pointer "*" to access the value of enum I am not getting the right values. I am getting some garbage values.

You mean like

enum states{ waiting=21, running, stopped, cancelled };
 
int main( void )
{
    enum states a, b;
    enum states *b_ptr = &b;
 
    a = waiting;    // 21
    b = stopped;  // 23
 
    cout << *b_ptr << endl;
 
    return 0;
}
 

This gives 23 as I would expect, or didn't I understand you?

[srikar]

Thank you arne for the immediate reply.
I am getting the correct value for *b_ptr.
But If I try to get the address of waiting I am getting error that non lvalue in unary &.
If I declare the variable again in main like below. I am getting address,
But If I dereferece this address I am not getting the correct value.
I am getting garbage values.


using namespace std;
#include<iostream>
enum states{ waiting=21, running, stopped, cancelled };

int main( void )
{
enum states waiting;
enum states a, b;
enum states *b_ptr = &b;
enum states *ptr1=&waiting;

a = waiting; // 21
b = stopped; // 23

cout << *b_ptr << endl;
cout<<"the value of waiting state is\t"<<*ptr1;
return 0;
}

[arne]

But If I try to get the address of waiting I am getting error that non lvalue in unary &.
If I declare the variable again in main like below. I am getting address,
But If I dereferece this address I am not getting the correct value.
I am getting garbage values.


using namespace std;
#include<iostream>
enum states{ waiting=21, running, stopped, cancelled };

int main( void )
{
enum states waiting;
enum states a, b;
enum states *b_ptr = &b;
enum states *ptr1=&waiting;

a = waiting; // 21
b = stopped; // 23

cout << *b_ptr << endl;
cout<<"the value of waiting state is\t"<<*ptr1;
return 0;
}

Be careful, you're mixing things here. In your code in main 'waiting' is the name of a variable of type 'enum states'. This variable is not initialized.
'ptr' holds the adress of this (uninitialized!) variable. If you dereference 'ptr' I would expect garbage, as I would in

int i;
int *ptr = &i;
cout << *ptr << endl;
 

In addition, you have an enumeration constant, which is not related to your variable.

[srikar]

thanks arne once again.
I just want to make things clearer.
So the enum state{...} i.e waiting, stopped, etc for them they are
enum constants so for them we cant find the address.
1.If I initilise that variable in main I am getting error
i.e invalid conversion from int to states.
as we can see below.

enum states{ waiting=21, running, stopped, cancelled };
int main( void )
{
enum states waiting=10;
enum states a, b;
enum states *b_ptr = &b;
enum states *ptr1=&waiting;

a = waiting; // 21
b = stopped; // 23

cout << *b_ptr << endl;
cout<<"the value of waiting state is\t"<<*ptr1;
// cout<<"the address of running is \t"<<&running;
return 0;
}

q2) For the variables a, b I have declared them as of type states.
But not initialised I can able to fine the address.
q3) For any variables until the variable is initialised memory will not
be alloted for the variable is it true? For any int var also before initialisation
I am able to fine the address, than what about the above rule.

[arne]

i.e invalid conversion from int to states.
as we can see below.

Correct: in your main waiting is a variable of type "enum states" to which you try to assign an int. That's why the compiler complains (in C the compiler will not complain, one of the subtle differences between C and C++)

q2) For the variables a, b I have declared them as of type states.
But not initialised I can able to fine the address.

Yes, exactly.

q3) For any variables until the variable is initialised memory will not
be alloted for the variable is it true? For any int var also before initialisation
I am able to fine the address, than what about the above rule.

The memory is allocated: you have the address :)
But there is (possibly) no meaningful value.

Which rule, you mean?

[srikar]

Correct: in your main waiting is a variable of type "enum states" to which you try to assign an int. That's why the compiler complains (in C the compiler will not complain, one of the subtle differences between C and C++)


Yes, exactly.


The memory is allocated: you have the address :)
But there is (possibly) no meaningful value.

Which rule, you mean?

Thank you very much arne, lot of my queries have been solved by ur
explanation
If I have any further can I directly post to you.

Thanks & Regards
srikar