diff --git a/src/Prefs.cpp b/src/Prefs.cpp
index bf2cdd7f2..3c20859bd 100755
--- a/src/Prefs.cpp
+++ b/src/Prefs.cpp
@@ -341,3 +341,90 @@ void FinishPreferences()
       gPrefs = NULL;
    }
 }
+
+//////////
+wxString EnumSetting::Read() const
+{
+   const auto &defaultValue = Default().Internal();
+   wxString value;
+   if ( !gPrefs->Read(mKey, &value, defaultValue) )
+      if (!mMigrated) {
+         const_cast<EnumSetting*>(this)->Migrate( value );
+         mMigrated = true;
+      }
+
+   // Remap to default if the string is not known -- this avoids surprises
+   // in case we try to interpret config files from future versions
+   auto index = Find( value );
+   if ( index >= mnSymbols )
+      value = defaultValue;
+   return value;
+}
+
+size_t EnumSetting::Find( const wxString &value ) const
+{
+   return size_t(
+      std::find( begin(), end(), IdentInterfaceSymbol{ value, {} } )
+         - mSymbols );
+}
+
+void EnumSetting::Migrate( wxString &value )
+{
+}
+
+bool EnumSetting::Write( const wxString &value )
+{
+   auto index = Find( value );
+   if (index >= mnSymbols)
+      return false;
+
+   auto result = gPrefs->Write( mKey, value );
+   mMigrated = true;
+   return result;
+}
+
+int EncodedEnumSetting::ReadInt() const
+{
+   if (!mIntValues)
+      return 0;
+
+   auto index = Find( Read() );
+   wxASSERT( index < mnSymbols );
+   return mIntValues[ index ];
+}
+
+size_t EncodedEnumSetting::FindInt( int code ) const
+{
+   if (!mIntValues)
+      return mnSymbols;
+
+   return size_t(
+      std::find( mIntValues, mIntValues + mnSymbols, code )
+         - mIntValues );
+}
+
+void EncodedEnumSetting::Migrate( wxString &value )
+{
+   int intValue = 0;
+   if ( !mOldKey.empty() &&
+        gPrefs->Read(mOldKey, &intValue, 0) ) {
+      // Make the migration, only once and persistently.
+      // Do not DELETE the old key -- let that be read if user downgrades
+      // Audacity.  But further changes will be stored only to the NEW key
+      // and won't be seen then.
+      auto index = FindInt( intValue );
+      if ( index >= mnSymbols )
+         index = mDefaultSymbol;
+      value = mSymbols[index].Internal();
+      Write(value);
+      gPrefs->Flush();
+   }
+}
+
+bool EncodedEnumSetting::WriteInt( int code ) // you flush gPrefs afterward
+{
+   auto index = FindInt( code );
+   if ( index >= mnSymbols )
+      return false;
+   return Write( mSymbols[index].Internal() );
+}
diff --git a/src/Prefs.h b/src/Prefs.h
index 7708a5150..97e6c5b6d 100644
--- a/src/Prefs.h
+++ b/src/Prefs.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #define __AUDACITY_PREFS__
 
 #include "Audacity.h"
+#include "../include/audacity/IdentInterface.h"
 
 #include <wx/config.h>
 #include <wx/fileconf.h>
@@ -40,4 +41,84 @@ void FinishPreferences();
 extern AUDACITY_DLL_API wxFileConfig *gPrefs;
 extern int gMenusDirty;
 
+// Packages a table of user-visible choices each with an internal code string,
+// a preference key path,
+// and a default choice
+class EnumSetting
+{
+public:
+   EnumSetting(
+      const wxString &key,
+      const IdentInterfaceSymbol symbols[], size_t nSymbols,
+      size_t defaultSymbol
+   )
+      : mKey{ key }
+
+      , mSymbols{ symbols }
+      , mnSymbols{ nSymbols }
+
+      , mDefaultSymbol{ defaultSymbol }
+   {
+      wxASSERT( defaultSymbol < nSymbols );
+   }
+
+   const wxString &Key() const { return mKey; }
+   const IdentInterfaceSymbol &Default() const
+      { return mSymbols[mDefaultSymbol]; }
+   const IdentInterfaceSymbol *begin() const { return mSymbols; }
+   const IdentInterfaceSymbol *end() const { return mSymbols + mnSymbols; }
+
+   wxString Read() const;
+   bool Write( const wxString &value ); // you flush gPrefs afterward
+
+protected:
+   size_t Find( const wxString &value ) const;
+   virtual void Migrate( wxString& );
+
+   const wxString mKey;
+
+   const IdentInterfaceSymbol *mSymbols;
+   const size_t mnSymbols;
+
+   // stores an internal value
+   mutable bool mMigrated { false };
+
+   const size_t mDefaultSymbol;
+};
+
+// Extends EnumSetting with a corresponding table of integer codes
+// (generally not equal to their table positions),
+// and optionally an old preference key path that stored integer codes, to be
+// migrated into one that stores internal string values instead
+class EncodedEnumSetting : public EnumSetting
+{
+public:
+   EncodedEnumSetting(
+      const wxString &key,
+      const IdentInterfaceSymbol symbols[], size_t nSymbols,
+      size_t defaultSymbol,
+
+      const int intValues[] = nullptr, // must have same size as symbols
+      const wxString &oldKey = {}
+   )
+      : EnumSetting{ key, symbols, nSymbols, defaultSymbol }
+      , mIntValues{ intValues }
+      , mOldKey{ oldKey }
+   {
+      wxASSERT( mIntValues );
+   }
+
+   // Read and write the encoded values
+   virtual int ReadInt() const;
+   bool WriteInt( int code ); // you flush gPrefs afterward
+
+protected:
+   size_t FindInt( int code ) const;
+   void Migrate( wxString& ) override;
+
+private:
+   const int *mIntValues;
+   const wxString mOldKey;
+};
+
 #endif