diff --git a/examples/enum.jl b/examples/enum.jl
index dfa764984dc7f..cb012f7a2f7a9 100644
--- a/examples/enum.jl
+++ b/examples/enum.jl
@@ -1,16 +1,45 @@
-macro enum(T,syms...)
+abstract Enum
+
+# functions for all Enums
+Base.convert(x::Enum) = x.n
+for op in (:<, :>, :<=, :>=, :(==))
+    @eval ($op){T<:Enum}(a::T, b::T) = ($op)(a.n, b.n)
+end
+
+# enum usage:
+# @enum Sort [:sortnone=>0, :sortasc=>1, :sortdesc=>2]
+#
+macro enum(T, symsexp)
+    const s = eval(symsexp)
+    @assert (!isempty(s))
+    const tsyms = typeof(s)
+    @assert (tsyms<:Associative{Symbol})
+    @assert (tsyms.parameters[1] == Symbol)
+    @assert (tsyms.parameters[2]<:Integer)
+    const syms = Dict([(s,convert(Cint, n))::(Symbol,Cint) for (s,n) in s]) # eval/comprehension causes type loss
+
     blk = quote
-        immutable $(esc(T))
-            n::Int32
-            $(esc(T))(n::Integer) = new(n)
+        immutable $(esc(T)) <: $(esc(Enum))
+            n::Cint
+            $(esc(T))(n::Cint) = begin
+                @assert (n in $(values(syms))) "Invalid n"
+                new(n)
+            end
         end
-        Base.show(io::IO, x::$(esc(T))) = print(io, $syms[x.n+1])
-        Base.show(io::IO, x::Type{$(esc(T))}) = print(io, $(string("enum ", T, ' ', '(', join(syms, ", "), ')')))
+
+        # enum specific functions
+        $(esc(:(Base.typemin)))(::Type{$(esc(T))}) = $(esc(T))($(minimum(values(syms))))
+        $(esc(:(Base.typemax)))(::Type{$(esc(T))}) = $(esc(T))($(maximum(values(syms))))
+        $(esc(:(Base.names)))(::Type{$(esc(T))}) = $(collect(keys(syms)))
+        $(esc(:(Base.length)))(::Type{$(esc(T))}) = $(length(syms))
+        $(esc(:(Base.convert)))(::Type{$(esc(T))}, n::Integer) = $(esc(T))(convert(Cint, n))
     end
-    for (i,sym) in enumerate(syms)
-        push!(blk.args, :(const $(esc(sym)) = $(esc(T))($(i-1))))
+    for (sym,n) in syms
+        push!(blk.args, :(const $(esc(sym)) = $(esc(T))(convert(Cint, $n))))
     end
     push!(blk.args, :nothing)
     blk.head = :toplevel
-    return blk
+    blk
 end
+
+@enum Sort [:sortnone=>0, :sortasc=>1, :sortdesc=>2]