Enum from string, int, etc

Question

Using extension method we can create methods to convert an enum to other datatype like string, int by creating extension methods ToInt(), ToString()

Answer 1

The other way around would be possibly... the other way around ;) Extend int and string with generic extension methods which will take as type parameter the type of an enum:

public static TEnum ToEnum(this int val)
{
    return (TEnum) System.Enum.ToObject(typeof(TEnum), val);
}

---

public static TEnum ToEnum(this string val)
{
    return (TEnum) System.Enum.Parse(typeof(TEnum), val);
}

---

Usage:

var redFromInt = 141.ToEnum();
var redFromString = "Red".ToEnum();

There is unfortunately no generic constraint for Enums, so we have to check TEnum type during runtime; to simplify we'll leave that verification to Enum.ToObject and Enum.Parse methods.