QMetaEnum: Serializing C++ Enums

item.cpp

const QString Item::type() const
{
    const QMetaObject &mo = Item::staticMetaObject;
    int index = mo.indexOfEnumerator("Type");
    QMetaEnum metaEnum = mo.enumerator(index);

    return metaEnum.valueToKey(m_type);
}

void Item::setType(const QString &type)
{
    const QMetaObject &mo = Item::staticMetaObject;

    int index = mo.indexOfEnumerator("Type");
    QMetaEnum metaEnum = mo.enumerator(index);
    int value = metaEnum.keyToValue(qPrintable(type));

    m_type = static_cast<Type>(value);
}

item.h

class Item
{
public:
    enum Type {
        CAR,
        BIRD,
        APPLE
    };

public:
    explicit Item();

    const QString type() const;
    void setType(enum Type type);
    void setType(const QString &type);

private:
    enum Type m_type = Item::APPLE;
};

item_2.h

#include <QObject>

class Item
{
    Q_GADGET
    Q_ENUMS(Type)
public:
    enum Type {
        CAR,
        BIRD,
        APPLE
    };

    explicit Item();

    const QString type();
    void setType(enum Type type);
    void setType(const QString &type);

private:
    enum Type m_type = Item::APPLE;
};

main.cpp

#include <QDebug>
#include "item.h"

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    Q_UNUSED(argc)
    Q_UNUSED(argv)

    Item item;
    qDebug() << item.type();

    item.setType(Item::CAR);
    qDebug() << item.type();

    item.setType("BIRD");
    qDebug() << item.type();
}