C# Getting Enum values

Question

I have a enum containing the following (for example):

• UnitedKingdom,
• UnitedStates,
• France,
• Portugal

In my code I use

Answer 1

I prefer to use the DescriptionAttribute on my enums. Then, you can use the following code to grab that description from the enum.

enum MyCountryEnum
{    
    [Description("UK")]
    UnitedKingdom = 0,    

    [Description("US")]
    UnitedStates = 1,    

    [Description("FR")]
    France = 2,    

    [Description("PO")]
    Portugal = 3
}

public static string GetDescription(this Enum value)
{
    var type = value.GetType();

    var fi = type.GetField(value.ToString());

    var descriptions = fi.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DescriptionAttribute), false) as DescriptionAttribute[];

    return descriptions.Length > 0 ? descriptions[0].Description : value.ToString();
}

public static SortedDictionary GetBoundEnum() where T : struct, IConvertible
{
    // validate.
    if (!typeof(T).IsEnum)
    {
        throw new ArgumentException("T must be an Enum type.");
    }

    var results = new SortedDictionary();

    FieldInfo[] fieldInfos = typeof(T).GetFields();

    foreach (var fi in fieldInfos)
    {

        var value = (T)fi.GetValue(fi);
        var description = GetDescription((Enum)fi.GetValue(fi));

        if (!results.ContainsKey(description))
        {
            results.Add(description, value);
        }
    }
    return results;
}

And then to get my bound enum list, its simply a call to

GetBoundEnum()

To get a single enum's description, you'd just use the extension method like this

string whatever = MyCountryEnum.UnitedKingdom.GetDescription();