The author explores a C++ standards proposal (P4313R1) for bitmask operations on enums, which leads into a deeper examination of C++ integral promotion rules and their unexpected behavior with bitwise operations. The article highlights how small integral types are promoted to int before bitwise operations, which can cause subtle bugs, especially with enums and boolean types.
Background
C++'s integral promotion rules are a well-known source of subtle bugs, especially for developers coming from other languages. The C++26 standards committee has been working on improving enum usability with proposals like P4313R1 for bitmask support.
- Source
- Lobsters
- Published
- Oct 4, 2026 at 08:30 PM
- Score
- 6.0 / 10