c++ - Enums: Can they do in .h or must stay in .cpp?

Question

If I have something like:

enum
{
    kCP_AboutBox_IconViewID = 1,
    kCP_AboutBox_AppNameViewID = 2,
    kCP_AboutBox_VersionViewID = 3,
    kCP_AboutBox_DescriptionViewID = 4,
    kCP_AboutBox_CopyrightViewID = 5
};

in my .cpp can it go in the .h?

More so, what other lesser know things can you put in a .h besides class definitions, variables, etc, etc

question from:https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1284529/enums-can-they-do-in-h-or-must-stay-in-cpp

Answer 1

A .h file is essentially just code which, at compile time, is placed above any .cpp (or .h file for that matter) that it's included in. Therefore you CAN just place any code from the .cpp file into the .h and it should compile fine.

However it's the design which is important. Your code (e.g. your enum) SHOULD be placed in the .h file if you need to expose it to the code you're including the .h file. However if the enum is only specific to the code in your header's .cpp implementation, then you should encapsulate it just within the .cpp file.