General method to convert enum to List

Question

Here's a "weird" question:

Is it possible to create a method where in it will convert whatever enum to list. Here's my draft of what I'm currently thinking.

public class EnumTypes
{
   public enum Enum1
   {
      Enum1_Choice1 = 1,
      Enum1_Choice2 = 2
   }

   public enum Enum2
   {
      Enum2_Choice1 = 1,
      Enum2_Choice2 = 2
   }

   public List<string> ExportEnumToList(<enum choice> enumName)
   {
      List<string> enumList = new List<string>();
      //TODO: Do something here which I don't know how to do it.
      return enumList;
   }
}

Just curious if it's possible and how to do it.

@Habib: I believe that this is not a duplicate. Because the user can just pass as parameter either `Enum1` or `Enum2`. — Musikero31, Apr 02 '13 at 06:38
@LasseV.Karlsen: If possible, the key and value of the enum chosen. — Musikero31, Apr 02 '13 at 06:39
This is duplicate unless your question is "how to express `ExportEnumToList( enumName)`> genrecally or via reflection". — Alexei Levenkov, Apr 02 '13 at 06:40

Moho · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-02T06:43:56.327

11

Enum.GetNames( typeof(EnumType) ).ToList()

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.enum.getnames.aspx

Or, if you want to get fancy:

    public static List<string> GetEnumList<T>()
    {
        // validate that T is in fact an enum
        if (!typeof(T).IsEnum)
        {
            throw new InvalidOperationException();
        }

        return Enum.GetNames(typeof(T)).ToList();
    }

    // usage:
    var list = GetEnumList<EnumType>();

edited Apr 02 '13 at 06:43

answered Apr 02 '13 at 06:38

Moho

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31

+1: Nice way of writing generic method. – Alexei Levenkov Apr 03 '13 at 03:55

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 02 '13 at 06:39

public List<string> ExportEnumToList(<enum choice> enumName)    {
List<string> enumList = new List<string>();
//TODO: Do something here which I don't know how to do it.
foreach (YourEnum item in Enum.GetValues(typeof(YourEnum ))){
    enumList.Add(item);
}
return enumList;

}

General method to convert enum to List

2 Answers2