Non-enum manifest constants: Pie in the sky?

[bearophile]

Jason House:

> IMHO, enum is a patchwork collection of features... manifest constants, enumerated lists, and bitmasks are all conflated into something rather ugly.<

Manifest constants defined with enum look a little ugly, and I too don't like it, but it's not even a syntax problem, it's a naming problem, so we can survive with it. Do you have ideas for alternative design of manifest constants? (LDC may even not need manifest constants at all, especially when you use link-time optimization).

The enumerated lists of D2 may enjoy to grow some built-in way to invert them, and little more.

Regarding bitmasks, I don't like how they are implemented in C#. D can do better, while keeping things simple.

Do you have ideas for a better design of those three things? (I don't want heavy Java-like enums).

Bye,
bearophile