[Python-Dev] [Python-checkins] peps: Pre-alpha draft for PEP 435 (enum). The name is not important at the moment, as

[Greg Ewing]

Ethan Furman wrote:
> I must admit I find it mildly amusing (but a lot frustrating) that we 
> are talk about /enumerations/ not needing to be based on ints.  Checking 
> out Merrian-Webster gives this:
> 
> Definition of ENUMERATE
> 1
> : to ascertain the number of : count
> 2
> : to specify one after another : list

It depends on what you mean by "based on ints". Pascal
enums are using the second definition here: the values
have ints associated with them, but are not themselves
ints.

There are really two different use cases. Sometimes you
want to have values that are directly substitutable for ints;
other times you would rather not, so as to catch mistakes
more easily.

-- 
Greg