Thread: matching one data type to another

I'm trying to come up with a better solution than the one shown below to match one data type to another. Frequently I see code such as below where a switch is done in order to match one type to another. The example shows two enums but they need not be.

Code:

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

enum color
{
	BLUE = 0,
	RED,
	GREEN,
	YELLOW
};

enum object
{
	APPLE = 0,
	SKY,
	FIRE,
	SUN
};

object color_2_object(unsigned char color);
color object_2_color(unsigned char object);

int main(void)
{
	object object1;
	color  color1;

	cout << "Hello\n";
	
	object1 = color_2_object(YELLOW);
	cout << "color YELLOW matches object: " << object1 << "\n";

	color1 = object_2_color(APPLE);
	cout << "object APPLE matches color: " << color1 << "\n";
}

object color_2_object(unsigned char color)
{
	object local_object = SKY;

	switch(color)
	{
	case	BLUE:
		local_object = SKY;
		break;
	case	RED:
		local_object = FIRE;
		break;
	case	GREEN:
		local_object = APPLE;
		break;
	case	YELLOW:
		local_object = SUN;
		break;
	default:
		break;
	}
	return	local_object;
}

color object_2_color(unsigned char object)
{
	color local_color = GREEN;

	switch(object)
	{
	case	APPLE:
		local_color = GREEN;
		break;
	case	SKY:
		local_color = BLUE;
		break;
	case	FIRE:
		local_color = RED;
		break;
	case	SUN:
		local_color = YELLOW;
		break;
	default:
		break;
	}

	return	local_color;

}

I've also come across situations where 'just by chance' the two enums match up and therefore a simple = is used.

Code:

enum color
{
	BLUE = 0,
	RED,
	GREEN,
	YELLOW
};

enum object
{
	SKY = 0,
	FIRE,
	APPLE,
	YELLOW
};

color1 = (color)object1;

My concern is when or if one or both of the data types are changed. Multiple places (switches) must be changed and I'm trying to think of a good way to avoid this. Is the only solution to create these type of conversion or matching routines? I only tend to need to do the conversion once and therefore a procedure seems a little wasteful. However on the other hand there are many of these data types which I need to convert and I don't like adding many switches in the code.

I've used some simple c++ here so please excuse!
TIA