Benefits of enum

[keskiverto]

Named values. Names for values.

class car {
  static const int foo = 5;
};

5 == car::foo

The foo is a variable, but it is almost global variable. Foo exists even when you have no cars. No instance of car uses memory for foo. The class scope limits who can access foo.

class car {
  enum bar { foo = 5 };
};

No variable, just a literal constant value. However, now there is a type too: bar.

std::cout << "Hello";
"Hello" is not a variable. It is a literal constant value.