Help With Enum Type & Classes

I just started doing classes and need some help with the last part of this program.
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1) In my header file I have this enum type and code (I'm posting the hole ".h" file so you know what I have):

Code:

---

enum Category {RnB, HipHop, Soul};

class Music
{
public:
    Music();

    Music(string, string, string, int);
       
    void Set(string song, string album, string singer, int length);

    string songTitle() const;
    string cdTitle() const;
    string artistName() const;
    int PlayTime() const;

    bool Compare(Music song2) const;
 
    Category MusicType(Music genre) const;

private:
    string title;
    string cd;
    string artist;
    int time;
};

---

2) Enum code in Implentation File:

Code:

---

Category Music::MusicType(Music genre) const
{
                switch (MusicType(genre))
                {
                case RnB: cout << "Genre: R & B";
                        break;
                case HipHop: cout << "Genre: Hip Hop";
                        break;
                case Soul: cout << "Genre: Soul";
                        break;
                }// End of Switch
}

---

In my main program it outputs some info of two songs that I declared. Now, am I coding it right in the implementation file? Or should that code actually be in the main program and something else in the impl.file? If it's right what Im not able to do is call the enum type to output the genre for each song. How can I do that?

In my main program I have declared these two:

Code:

---

int main()
{
        Music s1;
        Music s2;
       
        s1.Set("Let's Stay Together", "The Definitive Greatest Hits",
                            "Al Green", 3);
        s2.Set("It's Bigger Than Hip Hop", "Let's Get Free", "Dead Prez", 4);
               
                cout <<...

---

The implement file for your Music class should aslo have all the code for all the public functions

Code:

---

std::string Music::songTitle() const
{
  // code here for this function
}

---

You may have done this aleady, but I can only see an enum in the file ( unless that is code snippett ).

Does the code compile when all the files are linked together?

Oh, and use header gaurds in your header files.

Code:

---

#ifndef MUSIC_H
#define MUSIC_H

// class

#endif

---

I have everything for the functions and all of them compile with no problems. When I added the enum function I started having errors on that but the other functions still compile and run.

I just dont know how to call the enum function and output the genre info.

If you're trying to output the actual enum values -- RnB, HipHop, Soul -- instead of their "enumerical" representations, you'll have to write your own function for that.

For example:

Code:

---

enum eTest
{
        test_zero=0,
        test_one=2,
        test_two=4,
        test_three=6
};

...

std::string & getEnum(eTest t)
{
        std::string *s = NULL;
        switch(t)
        {
                case test_zero:
                        s = new std::string("test_zero");
                break;
                case test_one:
                        s = new std::string("test_one");
                break;
                case test_two:
                        s = new std::string("test_two");
                break;
                case test_three:
                        s = new std::string("test_three");
                break;
        }
        return *s;
}

---

Just as an fyi, I usually use C over C++, so I don't use references a lot. If this is wrong in any way, I apologize, but I think this should give you an idea of what I mean.

Is there anyway that I could make it output what I have in the switch statement?

At the basic level, enums behave somewhat like #define statements. They are represented as integers, hence the reason why you have to write a function to do the naming yourself. The first case is resolved in the code I posted as case 0, not case "test_zero".

In short, no.

One thing you could do is build a const array of strings, where the index would match up to the name of the enum.

So an array of strings, eTest_table, at index test_zero would be "test_zero". That would make lookups much quicker. You still have to do the work yourself, though, of making the array and writing a function to do the lookup. There's no way to get the enum names any other way to my knowledge.

ok thank you...I'll play around with my code see what I can do with this...

other inputs would be much appreciated though....

In this particular case I don't actually see what good you get from the enumeration. Music genre is basically string-type information (just like the song title), so why not store it like the rest and do away with long and clumsy switches? You are not going to be able to enumerate all music styles after all...

this is an assignment and I have to use an enum for three genre only. it's more of abasic program to get going.

I coulnt solve this....

Just to let y'all know I dont have to use a switch statement but I have to use enum. I was just trying out the switch and I also tried if statement but I had no luck with both.

There is some confusion in the Music class. The MusicType function is supposed to return a Category (which is of the enum type), but it is entirely unclear why it takes a Music parameter (note that Music doesn't represent "music (genre)" but rather a "song". Shouldn't it return the genre of this Music (like the other functions)? In this case you'll just need a private Category member to store the genre in.

that makes since........ok do i call the enum function in main the same way I called the others "s1.songTitle()" ?

Yes, so far the assignment seems to be just about using "getters" (and "setters").

If you have any other problems, don't forget to post the most recent code.

thank u...I got it now...finally I can get me a couple of hours of sleep...