C# || How To Set & Get The Description Of An Enum Using C#

May 09, 2021 admin No comments

The following is a module with functions which demonstrates how to set and get the description of an enum using C#.

This function uses the DescriptionAttribute to get the description of an Enum element. If a description attribute is not specified, the string value of the Enum element is returned.

1. Get Description

The example below demonstrates the use of ‘Utils.Extensions.GetDescription‘ to get the description of enum elements.





		
		
			1. Get Description
			
C#
			
			// Get Description

using Utils;

public enum MimeTypes {
    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/pdf")]
    ApplicationPDF = 1,

    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/octet-stream")]
    ApplicationOctect = 2,

    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/zip")]
    ApplicationZip = 3,

    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/msword")]
    ApplicationMSWordDOC = 4,

    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document")]
    ApplicationMSWordDOCX = 5,

    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.ms-excel")]
    ApplicationMSExcelXLS = 6,

    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet")]
    ApplicationMSExcelXLSX = 7
}

foreach (MimeTypes value in System.Enum.GetValues(typeof(MimeTypes))) { 
    Console.WriteLine($"Numeric Value: {(int)value}, Name: {value.ToString()}, Description: {value.GetDescription()}");
}

// expected output:
/*
    Numeric Value: 1, Name: ApplicationPDF, Description: application/pdf
    Numeric Value: 2, Name: ApplicationOctect, Description: application/octet-stream
    Numeric Value: 3, Name: ApplicationZip, Description: application/zip
    Numeric Value: 4, Name: ApplicationMSWordDOC, Description: application/msword
    Numeric Value: 5, Name: ApplicationMSWordDOCX, Description: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
    Numeric Value: 6, Name: ApplicationMSExcelXLS, Description: application/vnd.ms-excel
    Numeric Value: 7, Name: ApplicationMSExcelXLSX, Description: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
*/
			
				
					
				
					1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
				
						// Get Description
 
using Utils;
 
public enum MimeTypes {
    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/pdf")]
    ApplicationPDF = 1,
 
    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/octet-stream")]
    ApplicationOctect = 2,
 
    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/zip")]
    ApplicationZip = 3,
 
    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/msword")]
    ApplicationMSWordDOC = 4,
 
    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document")]
    ApplicationMSWordDOCX = 5,
 
    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.ms-excel")]
    ApplicationMSExcelXLS = 6,
 
    [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet")]
    ApplicationMSExcelXLSX = 7
}
 
foreach (MimeTypes value in System.Enum.GetValues(typeof(MimeTypes))) { 
    Console.WriteLine($"Numeric Value: {(int)value}, Name: {value.ToString()}, Description: {value.GetDescription()}");
}
 
// expected output:
/*
    Numeric Value: 1, Name: ApplicationPDF, Description: application/pdf
    Numeric Value: 2, Name: ApplicationOctect, Description: application/octet-stream
    Numeric Value: 3, Name: ApplicationZip, Description: application/zip
    Numeric Value: 4, Name: ApplicationMSWordDOC, Description: application/msword
    Numeric Value: 5, Name: ApplicationMSWordDOCX, Description: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
    Numeric Value: 6, Name: ApplicationMSExcelXLS, Description: application/vnd.ms-excel
    Numeric Value: 7, Name: ApplicationMSExcelXLSX, Description: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
*/

2. Utils Namespace

The following is the Utils Namespace. Include this in your project to start using!





		
		
			Utils Namespace
			
C#
			
			// ============================================================================
//    Author: Kenneth Perkins
//    Date:   May 9, 2021
//    Taken From: http://programmingnotes.org/
//    File:  Utils.cs
//    Description: Handles general utility functions
// ============================================================================
using System;
using System.Linq;

namespace Utils {
    public static class Extensions {
        /// <summary>
        /// Returns the description of an enum decorated with a DescriptionAttribute
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="value">An Enumeration value</param>
        /// <returns>The description of an enumeration value</returns>
        public static string GetDescription(this System.Enum value) {
            var description = value.ToString();
            var attribute = GetAttribute<System.ComponentModel.DescriptionAttribute>(value);
            if (attribute != null) {
                description = attribute.Description;
            }
            return description;
        }

        public static T GetAttribute<T>(System.Enum value) where T : System.Attribute {
            var field = value.GetType().GetField(value.ToString());
            var attribute = ((T[])field.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(T), false)).FirstOrDefault();
            return attribute;
        }
    }
}// http://programmingnotes.org/
			
				
					
				
					1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
				
						// ============================================================================
//    Author: Kenneth Perkins
//    Date:   May 9, 2021
//    Taken From: http://programmingnotes.org/
//    File:  Utils.cs
//    Description: Handles general utility functions
// ============================================================================
using System;
using System.Linq;
 
namespace Utils {
    public static class Extensions {
        /// <summary>
        /// Returns the description of an enum decorated with a DescriptionAttribute
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="value">An Enumeration value</param>
        /// <returns>The description of an enumeration value</returns>
        public static string GetDescription(this System.Enum value) {
            var description = value.ToString();
            var attribute = GetAttribute<System.ComponentModel.DescriptionAttribute>(value);
            if (attribute != null) {
                description = attribute.Description;
            }
            return description;
        }
 
        public static T GetAttribute<T>(System.Enum value) where T : System.Attribute {
            var field = value.GetType().GetField(value.ToString());
            var attribute = ((T[])field.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(T), false)).FirstOrDefault();
            return attribute;
        }
    }
}// http://programmingnotes.org/

3. More Examples

Below are more examples demonstrating the use of the ‘Utils‘ Namespace. Don’t forget to include the module when running the examples!





		
		
			More Examples
			
C#
			
			// ============================================================================
//    Author: Kenneth Perkins
//    Date:   May 9, 2021
//    Taken From: http://programmingnotes.org/
//    File:  Program.cs
//    Description: The following demonstrates the use of the Utils Namespace
// ============================================================================
using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using Utils;

public class Program {

    public enum MimeTypes {
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/pdf")]
        ApplicationPDF = 1,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/octet-stream")]
        ApplicationOctect = 2,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/zip")]
        ApplicationZip = 3,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/msword")]
        ApplicationMSWordDOC = 4,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document")]
        ApplicationMSWordDOCX = 5,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.ms-excel")]
        ApplicationMSExcelXLS = 6,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet")]
        ApplicationMSExcelXLSX = 7,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.ms-powerpoint")]
        ApplicationMSPowerPointPPT = 8,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation")]
        ApplicationMSPowerPointPPTX = 9,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("audio/basic")]
        AudioBasic = 10,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("audio/mpeg")]
        AudioMPEG = 11,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("audio/x-wav")]
        AudioWAV = 12,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("image/gif")]
        ImageGIF = 13,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("image/jpeg")]
        ImageJPEG = 14,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("image/png")]
        ImagePNG = 15,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("text/html")]
        TextHTML = 16,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("text/plain")]
        TextPlain = 17,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("video/mpeg")]
        VideoMPEG = 18,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("video/x-msvideo")]
        VideoAVI = 19
    }

    static void Main(string[] args) {
        try {
            foreach (MimeTypes value in System.Enum.GetValues(typeof(MimeTypes))) { 
                Display($"Numeric Value: {(int)value}, Name: {value.ToString()}, Description: {value.GetDescription()}");
            }
        } catch (Exception ex) {
            Display(ex.ToString());
        } finally {
            Console.ReadLine();
        }
    }

    static void Display(string message) {
        Console.WriteLine(message);
        Debug.Print(message);
    }
}// http://programmingnotes.org/
			
				
					
				
					1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
				
						// ============================================================================
//    Author: Kenneth Perkins
//    Date:   May 9, 2021
//    Taken From: http://programmingnotes.org/
//    File:  Program.cs
//    Description: The following demonstrates the use of the Utils Namespace
// ============================================================================
using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using Utils;
 
public class Program {
 
    public enum MimeTypes {
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/pdf")]
        ApplicationPDF = 1,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/octet-stream")]
        ApplicationOctect = 2,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/zip")]
        ApplicationZip = 3,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/msword")]
        ApplicationMSWordDOC = 4,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document")]
        ApplicationMSWordDOCX = 5,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.ms-excel")]
        ApplicationMSExcelXLS = 6,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet")]
        ApplicationMSExcelXLSX = 7,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.ms-powerpoint")]
        ApplicationMSPowerPointPPT = 8,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation")]
        ApplicationMSPowerPointPPTX = 9,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("audio/basic")]
        AudioBasic = 10,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("audio/mpeg")]
        AudioMPEG = 11,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("audio/x-wav")]
        AudioWAV = 12,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("image/gif")]
        ImageGIF = 13,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("image/jpeg")]
        ImageJPEG = 14,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("image/png")]
        ImagePNG = 15,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("text/html")]
        TextHTML = 16,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("text/plain")]
        TextPlain = 17,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("video/mpeg")]
        VideoMPEG = 18,
        [System.ComponentModel.Description("video/x-msvideo")]
        VideoAVI = 19
    }
 
    static void Main(string[] args) {
        try {
            foreach (MimeTypes value in System.Enum.GetValues(typeof(MimeTypes))) { 
                Display($"Numeric Value: {(int)value}, Name: {value.ToString()}, Description: {value.GetDescription()}");
            }
        } catch (Exception ex) {
            Display(ex.ToString());
        } finally {
            Console.ReadLine();
        }
    }
 
    static void Display(string message) {
        Console.WriteLine(message);
        Debug.Print(message);
    }
}// http://programmingnotes.org/

QUICK NOTES:
The highlighted lines are sections of interest to look out for.

The code is heavily commented, so no further insight is necessary. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

Was this article helpful?

👍 YesNo

Posted in: C#, Console Tags: c-sharp, enum description

C# || How To Set & Get The Description Of An Enum Using C#

Related

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Search

Compile Your Code Now

Translate Page

Popular Pages

Recent

Archives

Categories