Convert enum to List

By: Rajesh P.S.

An enumeration, often referred to as an enum type, is a data type that holds an internal list of enumerators. Enumerations offer a convenient approach to group together a set of logically related constants. When you encounter a scenario where you have multiple constants that are conceptually connected to each other, using an enum becomes the most suitable and organized method to consolidate these constants within a single entity.

Enum to List

By encapsulating related constants in an enum, you create a distinct and self-contained set of values that represent different symbolic names for specific integral values. This promotes code readability, maintainability, and enhances the clarity of the codebase. It also helps prevent errors and ensures consistency when dealing with related constants throughout the program.

C# Syntax:
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enum<name> { enumeration list; }

VB.Net Syntax:

Enum enumerationname[As datatype] memberlist End Enum

In many scenarios, it is considered good practice to define an enum directly within a namespace. By doing so, all classes within that namespace gain equal accessibility and convenience to utilize the enum without any additional qualifications. This approach promotes code modularity and ensures that related constants are easily accessible throughout the namespace, enhancing code clarity and maintainability.

However, there might be situations where you need to convert enum values into a List data structure for programming convenience. For example, when you want to perform bulk operations, iterate through enum values, or use LINQ queries, converting the enum to a List simplifies these tasks. The following program shows how to convert an enum to List in C# as well as VB.Net

C# Enum to List

using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.ComponentModel; using System.Data; using System.Drawing; using System.Linq; using System.Text; using System.Windows.Forms; namespace WindowsFormsApplication1 { public partial class Form1 : Form { public Form1() { InitializeComponent(); } enum Week { Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday }; private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { List<Week> days = Enum.GetValues(typeof(Week)).Cast<Week>().ToList(); foreach (Week day in days) { MessageBox.Show(day.ToString()); } } } }

VB.Net Enum to List

Public Class Form1 Enum Week Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday End Enum Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click Dim days As List(Of Week) = [Enum].GetValues(GetType(Week)).Cast(Of Week)().ToList() For Each day As Week In days MessageBox.Show(day.ToString()) Next End Sub End Class

Conclusion

Enums are a powerful tool in programming that facilitates the grouping of logically related constants, offering a more structured and intuitive approach to manage and reference these constants within the code. Their usage contributes to code quality, organization, and overall robustness of software systems.

Next > How to Save the MemoryStream as a file in c# and VB.Net

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