Enum value from display name

Question

I am new with C# and I have some troubles with enum.

I have Enum defined like this:

public enum CustomFields
{
    [Display(Name = \"first_name\")]
          


        

Answer 1

Try the following.

void Main()
{   
    CustomFields value1 = GetEnumValue("first_name");
    CustomFields value2 = GetEnumValue("last_name");
}

static Dictionary<string, CustomFields> displayNameMapping;

static CustomFields GetEnumValue(String displayName){
    if (displayNameMapping == null){
        var enumType = typeof(CustomFields);
        var displayAttributeType = typeof(DisplayAttribute);
        CustomFields? found = null;

        displayNameMapping = new Dictionary<string, CustomFields>();
        Enum.GetNames(enumType).ToList().ForEach(name=>{
            var member = enumType.GetMember(name).First();
            var displayAttrib = (DisplayAttribute)member.GetCustomAttributes(displayAttributeType, false).First();
            displayNameMapping.Add(displayAttrib.Name, (CustomFields)Enum.Parse(enumType, name));
        });
    }

    return displayNameMapping[displayName];
}

// Define other methods and classes here
public enum CustomFields
{
    [Display(Name = "first_name")]
    FirstName = 1,

    [Display(Name = "last_name")]
    LastName = 2,
}

Answer 2

You could use generics:

    public class Program
    {
        private static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            var name = "first_name";
            CustomFields customFields = EnumHelper<CustomFields>.GetValueFromName(name);
        }
    }

    public enum CustomFields
    {
        [Display(Name = "first_name")]
        FirstName = 1,

        [Display(Name = "last_name")]
        LastName = 2,
    }

    public static class EnumHelper<T>
    {
        public static T GetValueFromName(string name)
        {
            var type = typeof (T);
            if (!type.IsEnum) throw new InvalidOperationException();

            foreach (var field in type.GetFields())
            {
                var attribute = Attribute.GetCustomAttribute(field,
                    typeof (DisplayAttribute)) as DisplayAttribute;
                if (attribute != null)
                {
                    if (attribute.Name == name)
                    {
                        return (T) field.GetValue(null);
                    }
                }
                else
                {
                    if (field.Name == name)
                        return (T) field.GetValue(null);
                }
            }

            throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("name");
        }
    }