Why use flags+bitmasks rather than a series of booleans?

Question

Given a case where I have an object that may be in one or more true/false states, I\'ve always been a little fuzzy on why programmers frequently use flags+bitmasks instead of ju

Answer 1

I would suggest never using enum flags unless you are dealing with some pretty serious memory limitations (not likely). You should always write code optimized for maintenance.

Having several boolean properties makes it easier to read and understand the code, change the values, and provide Intellisense comments not to mention reduce the likelihood of bugs. If necessary, you can always use an enum flag field internally, just make sure you expose the setting/getting of the values with boolean properties.