Generic way to cast int to enum in C++

Question

Is there a generic way to cast int to enum in C++?

If int falls in range of an enum it should return

Answer 1

What do you think about this one?

#include <iostream>
#include <stdexcept>
#include <set>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

template<typename T>
class Enum
{
public:
    static void insert(int value)
    {
        _set.insert(value);
    }

    static T buildFrom(int value)
    {
        if (_set.find(value) != _set.end()) {
            T retval;
            retval.assign(value);
            return retval;
        }
        throw std::runtime_error("unexpected value");
    }

    operator int() const { return _value; }

private:
    void assign(int value)
    {
        _value = value;
    }

    int _value;
    static std::set<int> _set;
};

template<typename T> std::set<int> Enum<T>::_set;

class Apples: public Enum<Apples> {};

class Oranges: public Enum<Oranges> {};

class Proxy
{
public:
    Proxy(int value): _value(value) {}

    template<typename T>
    operator T()
    {
        T theEnum;
        return theEnum.buildFrom(_value);
    }

    int _value;
};

Proxy convert(int value)
{
    return Proxy(value);
}

int main()
{    
    Apples::insert(4);
    Apples::insert(8);

    Apples a = convert(4); // works
    std::cout << a << std::endl; // prints 4

    try {
        Apples b = convert(9); // throws    
    }
    catch (std::exception const& e) {
        std::cout << e.what() << std::endl; // prints "unexpected value"
    }
    try {
        Oranges b = convert(4); // also throws  
    }
    catch (std::exception const& e) {
        std::cout << e.what() << std::endl; // prints "unexpected value"
    }
}

You could then use code I posted here to switch on values.

Answer 2

C++0x alternative to the "ugly" version, allows for multiple enums. Uses initializer lists rather than switches, a bit cleaner IMO. Unfortunately, this doesn't work around the need to hard-code the enum values.

#include <cassert>  // assert

namespace  // unnamed namespace
{
    enum class e1 { value_1 = 1, value_2 = 2 };
    enum class e2 { value_3 = 3, value_4 = 4 };

    template <typename T>
    int valid_enum( const int val, const T& vec )
    {
        for ( const auto item : vec )
            if ( static_cast<int>( item ) == val ) return val;

        throw std::exception( "invalid enum value!" );  // throw something useful here
    }   // valid_enum
}   // ns

int main()
{
    // generate list of valid values
    const auto e1_valid_values = { e1::value_1, e1::value_2 };
    const auto e2_valid_values = { e2::value_3, e2::value_4 };

    auto result1 = static_cast<e1>( valid_enum( 1, e1_valid_values ) );
    assert( result1 == e1::value_1 );

    auto result2 = static_cast<e2>( valid_enum( 3, e2_valid_values ) );
    assert( result2 == e2::value_3 );

    // test throw on invalid value
    try
    {
        auto result3 = static_cast<e1>( valid_enum( 9999999, e1_valid_values ) );
        assert( false );
    }
    catch ( ... )
    {
        assert( true );
    }
}