.NET Guidebook

Classes

.NET Enums

Using Enums

.NET enums define named constants with underlying types.

What are Enums in .NET?

Enums, short for enumerations, in .NET are a special type that allows you to define a set of named constants. Each constant in the enum is associated with an integral value. Enums are value types, and they are created using the enum keyword. They are particularly useful when you have a collection of related constants, such as days of the week, directions, or states.

Defining an Enum

To define an enum in .NET, you use the enum keyword followed by the name of the enum and a list of named constants enclosed in curly braces. By default, the underlying type of each element in the enum is int, and the values start from zero.

Specifying an Underlying Type

You can specify a different underlying type for the enum values if needed. The underlying type must be one of the built-in integer types (byte, sbyte, short, ushort, int, uint, long, or ulong).

Assigning Values to Enum Members

By default, the first member of an enum has the value 0, and the value of each successive member is increased by 1. However, you can assign specific values to enum members. This is useful when the numeric representation of the enum members needs to match an external specification.

Using Enums in Code

Enums are easy to use in your code. You can declare a variable of the enum type and assign a value to it using the enum members. Enums improve code readability and reduce the likelihood of errors compared to using plain numbers or strings.

Benefits of Using Enums

  • Improved Code Clarity: Enums make your code more readable by replacing magic numbers with meaningful names.
  • Reduced Errors: Using enums prevents the use of invalid values since the compiler will only accept predefined enum members.
  • Easy Maintenance: Changes to the enum are centralized, making updates easier to manage.

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