[Tutor] enumeration in C++

[alan.gauld@bt.com]

> Currently in college right now, I have come across 
> enumeration in C++ and wanted to know if Python can 
> do the same thing and how?

Depends on which bit of C++ enums you want to use, 
its a flexible beast and gets used for all sorts 
of tricks.

If you just want a finite set of values then you 
can use a tuple. 

If you want to set a range of non contiguous values to 
a collection of names then I think you need a 
dictionary - but then it becomes mutable! Of course 
you could use a tuple of single element dicionaries, 
but thats not bombproof either!

If you need an autoincrementing list of consts 
(eg error codes) then I think you might be beat 
- ie I can't think of a pythonic equivalent! :-)

For most enum things in C++ there is a different 
idiom in Python - what aspect took your fancy?

Alan G