Alex Rivera | Logout

String representation of an Enum

Asked 2009-01-08T14:15:55.720
964

I have the following enumeration:

public enum AuthenticationMethod
{
    FORMS = 1,
    WINDOWSAUTHENTICATION = 2,
    SINGLESIGNON = 3
}

The problem however is that I need the word "FORMS" when I ask for AuthenticationMethod.FORMS and not the id 1.

I have found the following solution for this problem (link):

First I need to create a custom attribute called "StringValue":

public class StringValue : System.Attribute
{
    private readonly string _value;

    public StringValue(string value)
    {
        _value = value;
    }

    public string Value
    {
        get { return _value; }
    }

}

Then I can add this attribute to my enumeration:

public enum AuthenticationMethod
{
    [StringValue("FORMS")]
    FORMS = 1,
    [StringValue("WINDOWS")]
    WINDOWSAUTHENTICATION = 2,
    [StringValue("SSO")]
    SINGLESIGNON = 3
}

And of course I need something to retrieve that StringValue:

public static class StringEnum
{
    public static string GetStringValue(Enum value)
    {
        string output = null;
        Type type = value.GetType();

        //Check first in our cached results...

        //Look for our 'StringValueAttribute' 

        //in the field's custom attributes

        FieldInfo fi = type.GetField(value.ToString());
        StringValue[] attrs =
           fi.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(StringValue),
                                   false) as StringValue[];
        if (attrs.Length > 0)
        {
            output = attrs[0].Value;
        }

        return output;
    }
}

Good now I've got the tools to get a string value for an enumeration. I can then use it like this:

string valueOfAuthenticationMethod = StringEnum.GetStringValue(Authenticat
c# enums
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3 Answers

76

Unfortunately reflection to get attributes on enums is quite slow:

See this question: Anyone know a quick way to get to custom attributes on an enum value?

The .ToString() is quite slow on enums too.

You can write extension methods for enums though:

public static string GetName( this MyEnum input ) {
    switch ( input ) {
        case MyEnum.WINDOWSAUTHENTICATION:
            return "Windows";
        //and so on
    }
}

This isn't great, but will be quick and not require the reflection for attributes or field name.

C#6 Update

If you can use C#6 then the new nameof operator works for enums, so nameof(MyEnum.WINDOWSAUTHENTICATION) will be converted to "WINDOWSAUTHENTICATION" at compile time, making it the quickest way to get enum names.

Note that this will convert the explicit enum to an inlined constant, so it doesn't work for enums that you have in a variable. So:

nameof(AuthenticationMethod.FORMS) == "FORMS"

But...

var myMethod = AuthenticationMethod.FORMS;
nameof(myMethod) == "myMethod"
answered 2009-01-08T14:20:28.207
5

My variant

public struct Colors
{
    private String current;

    private static string red = "#ff0000";
    private static string green = "#00ff00";
    private static string blue = "#0000ff";

    private static IList<String> possibleColors; 

    public static Colors Red { get { return (Colors) red; } }
    public static Colors Green { get { return (Colors) green; } }
    public static Colors Blue { get { return (Colors) blue; } }

    static Colors()
    {
        possibleColors = new List<string>() {red, green, blue};
    }

    public static explicit operator String(Colors value)
    {
        return value.current;
    }

    public static explicit operator Colors(String value)
    {
        if (!possibleColors.Contains(value))
        {
            throw new InvalidCastException();
        }

        Colors color = new Colors();
        color.current = value;
        return color;
    }

    public static bool operator ==(Colors left, Colors right)
    {
        return left.current == right.current;
    }

    public static bool operator !=(Colors left, Colors right)
    {
        return left.current != right.current;
    }

    public bool Equals(Colors other)
    {
        return Equals(other.current, current);
    }

    public override bool Equals(object obj)
    {
        if (ReferenceEquals(null, obj)) return false;
        if (obj.GetType() != typeof(Colors)) return false;
        return Equals((Colors)obj);
    }

    public override int GetHashCode()
    {
        return (current != null ? current.GetHashCode() : 0);
    }

    public override string ToString()
    {
        return current;
    }
}

Code looks a bit ugly, but usages of this struct are pretty presentative.

Colors color1 = Colors.Red;
Console.WriteLine(color1); // #ff0000

Colors color2 = (Colors) "#00ff00";
Console.WriteLine(color2); // #00ff00

// Colors color3 = "#0000ff"; // Compilation error
// String color4 = Colors
answered 2012-02-01T16:00:37.340
4

Option 1:

public sealed class FormsAuth
{
     public override string ToString{return "Forms Authtentication";}
}
public sealed class WindowsAuth
{
     public override string ToString{return "Windows Authtentication";}
}

public sealed class SsoAuth
{
     public override string ToString{return "SSO";}
}

and then

object auth = new SsoAuth(); //or whatever

//...
//...
// blablabla

DoSomethingWithTheAuth(auth.ToString());

Option 2:

public enum AuthenticationMethod
{
        FORMS = 1,
        WINDOWSAUTHENTICATION = 2,
        SINGLESIGNON = 3
}

public class MyClass
{
    private Dictionary<AuthenticationMethod, String> map = new Dictionary<AuthenticationMethod, String>();
    public MyClass()
    {
         map.Add(AuthenticationMethod.FORMS,"Forms Authentication");
         map.Add(AuthenticationMethod.WINDOWSAUTHENTICATION ,"Windows Authentication");
         map.Add(AuthenticationMethod.SINGLESIGNON ,"SSo Authentication");
    }
}
answered 2009-01-08T15:41:08.933

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