/// <summary>
/// Returns the description of the specified enum.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="value">The value of the enum for which to return the description.</param>
/// <returns>A description of the enum, or the enum name if no description exists.</returns>
public static string GetEnumDescription(object value)
{
if (value == null)
{
return(null);
}
Type type = value.GetType();
//Make sure the object is an enum.
if (!type.IsEnum)
{
throw new ApplicationException("Value parameter must be an enum.");
}
FieldInfo fieldInfo = type.GetField(value.ToString());
object[] descriptionAttributes = fieldInfo.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DescriptionAttribute), false);
//If no DescriptionAttribute exists for this enum value, check the DescriptiveEnumEnforcementAttribute and decide how to proceed.
if (descriptionAttributes == null || descriptionAttributes.Length == 0)
{
object[] enforcementAttributes = fieldInfo.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DescriptiveEnumEnforcementAttribute), false);
//If a DescriptiveEnumEnforcementAttribute exists, either throw an exception or return the name of the enum instead.
if (enforcementAttributes != null && enforcementAttributes.Length == 1)
{
DescriptiveEnumEnforcementAttribute enforcementAttribute = (DescriptiveEnumEnforcementAttribute)enforcementAttributes[0];
if (enforcementAttribute.EnforcementType == DescriptiveEnumEnforcementType.ThrowException)
{
throw new ApplicationException("No Description attributes exist in enforced enum of type '" + type.Name + "', value '" + value.ToString() + "'.");
}
return(value.ToString());
}
else //Just return the name of the enum.
{
return(value.ToString());
}
}
else if (descriptionAttributes.Length > 1)
{
throw new ApplicationException("Too many Description attributes exist in enum of type '" + type.Name + "', value '" + value.ToString() + "'.");
}
//Return the value of the DescriptionAttribute.
return(descriptionAttributes[0].ToString());
}
public static string GetEnumName(object value)
{
if (value == null)
{
return(null);
}
Type type = value.GetType();
if (!type.IsEnum)
{
throw new ApplicationException("Value parameter must be an enum.");
}
FieldInfo fieldInfo = type.GetField(value.ToString());
object[] nameAttributes = fieldInfo.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(NameAttribute), false);
if (nameAttributes == null || nameAttributes.Length == 0)
{
object[] enforcementAttributes = fieldInfo.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DescriptiveEnumEnforcementAttribute), false);
if (enforcementAttributes != null && enforcementAttributes.Length == 1)
{
DescriptiveEnumEnforcementAttribute enforcementAttribute = (DescriptiveEnumEnforcementAttribute)enforcementAttributes[0];
if (enforcementAttribute.EnforcementType == DescriptiveEnumEnforcementAttribute.EnforcementTypeEnum.ThrowException)
{
throw new ApplicationException("No Name attributes exist in enforced enum of type '" + type.Name + "', value '" + value.ToString() + "'.");
}
return(EnumValueToDisplayString(value.ToString()));
}
else
{
return(EnumValueToDisplayString(value.ToString()));
}
}
else if (nameAttributes.Length > 1)
{
throw new ApplicationException("Too many Name attributes exist in enum of type '" + type.Name + "', value '" + value.ToString() + "'.");
}
return(nameAttributes[0].ToString());
}
