I would like to hear your opinion on something i came up with. Basically, a code base I am working on specializes in handling picture processing and therefore has a bunch of different pixel formats, image file format reader/writer functionality and stuff. One thing I always disliked is the fact of having a huge enum or whatever constant around that sits somewhere in the code base containing an identifier for any kind of pixel format. In both cases when you add or remove a pixel format you most likely end up changing code somewhere else in the code base (not meaning client code necessarily).