How do you convert a string into an enum?

[Anonieko Ramos]

Answer:
http://weblogs.asp.net/tims/archive/2004/04/02/106310.aspx
by Tim Sneath

I've come across the situation on a number of occasions when coding
where I've wanted to convert from a string to an enum. In the Media
Catalog sample, I resorted to one giant switch statement that has a
case block for each string that returns an enum from it.

One of my colleagues came up with the answer yesterday; it's one of
those methods that you can never find when you're looking for it, but
once discovered it seems blindingly obvious:

object Enum.Parse(System.Type enumType, string value, bool
ignoreCase);
So you can write the following kind of code:

enum Colour
{
Red,
Green,
Blue
}

// ...
Colour c = (Colour) Enum.Parse(typeof(Colour), "Red", true);
Console.WriteLine("Colour Value: {0}", c.ToString());

// Picking an invalid colour throws an ArgumentException. To
// avoid this, call Enum.IsDefined() first, as follows:
string nonColour = "Polkadot";

if (Enum.IsDefined(typeof(Colour), nonColour))
c = (Colour) Enum.Parse(typeof(Colour), nonColour, true);
else
MessageBox.Show("Uh oh!");
What a time saver - thanks, Simon!

Footnote: interestingly, whilst writing this up I noticed that
Enum.IsDefined() doesn't offer the ignoreCase parameter. If you don't
know whether the casing is right, it seems the only way to do the
conversion is using the Parse method and catching the
ArgumentException. That's not ideal, since it runs a lot slower. I
wonder if this is a loophole in the design; no doubt someone like Brad
could cast light on it...

posted on Friday, April 02, 2004 1:49 PM

 

[Allen Anderson]

use Enum.Parse. This will allow you to easily convert from string to
enum. To go in the other direction use MyEnumeration.ToString().

Allen Anderson
http://www.glacialcomponents.com
mailto: allen@put my website url here.com