Should enums in C# have their own file?

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I have a class which uses an enumeration, the enum is currently in its own file which seems wasteful.

What is the general opinion on enums being placed within the namespace of a file that they are consumed in? Or should the enum really live in its own cs file?

Edit

I should mention that while the class in question uses these enumerations, so does external callers. In other words, another class can set these enumerations. So they are not used internally to the class, otherwise this question would be a no brainer.

c# coding-style enums

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The question to ask yourself would be: is there anything about an enumeration type in C# that indicates I should treat it differently from all other types I create?

If the enumeration is public, it should be treated like any other public type. If it is private, declare it as a nested member of the class using it. There is no compelling reason to put two public types in the same file simply because one is an enumeration. The fact that it is a public type is all that matters; the flavor of type does not.

answered 2010-02-17T17:52:07.350

Should enums in C# have their own file?

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