Enum.Parse Method
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Converts the string representation of the name or numeric value of one or more enumerated constants to an equivalent enumerated object. A parameter specifies whether the operation is case-insensitive.
Namespace: System
Assembly: mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Syntax
'Declaration
<ComVisibleAttribute(True)> _
Public Shared Function Parse ( _
enumType As Type, _
value As String, _
ignoreCase As Boolean _
) As Object
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
public static Object Parse(
Type enumType,
string value,
bool ignoreCase
)
Parameters
- enumType
Type: System.Type
The Type of the enumeration.
- value
Type: System.String
A string containing the name or value to convert.
- ignoreCase
Type: System.Boolean
If true, ignore case; otherwise, regard case.
Return Value
Type: System.Object
An object of type enumType whose value is represented by value.
Exceptions
| Exception | Condition |
|---|---|
| ArgumentNullException | enumType or value is nulla null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic). |
| ArgumentException | enumType is not an Enum. -or- value is either an empty string ("") or only contains white space. -or- value is a name, but not one of the named constants defined for the enumeration. |
| OverflowException | value is outside the range of the underlying type of enumType. |
Remarks
The value parameter contains the string representation of an enumeration member's underlying value or named constant, or a list of named constants delimited by commas (,). One or more blank spaces can precede or follow each value, name, or comma in value. If value is a list, the return value is the value of the specified names combined with a bitwise OR operation.
If value is a name that does not correspond to a named constant of enumType, the method throws an ArgumentException. If value is the string representation of an integer that does not represent an underlying value of the enumType enumeration, the method returns an enumeration member whose underlying value is value converted to an integral type. If this behavior is undesirable, call the IsDefined method to ensure that a particular string representation of an integer is actually a member of enumType. The following example defines a Colors enumeration, calls the Parse(Type, String, Boolean) method to convert strings to their corresponding enumeration values, and calls the IsDefined method to ensure that particular integral values are underlying values in the Colors enumeration.
<Flags()> Enum Colors As Integer
None = 0
Red = 1
Green = 2
Blue = 4
End Enum
Module Example
Public Sub Demo(ByVal outputBlock As System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock)
Dim colorStrings() As String = {"0", "2", "8", "blue", "Blue", "Yellow", "Red, Green"}
For Each colorString As String In colorStrings
Try
Dim colorValue As Colors = CType([Enum].Parse(GetType(Colors), colorString, True), Colors)
If [Enum].IsDefined(GetType(Colors), colorValue) Or colorValue.ToString().Contains(",") Then
outputBlock.Text += String.Format("Converted '{0}' to {1}.", colorString, colorValue.ToString()) & vbCrLf
Else
outputBlock.Text += String.Format("{0} is not an underlying value of the Colors enumeration.", colorString) & vbCrLf
End If
Catch e As ArgumentException
outputBlock.Text += String.Format("{0} is not a member of the Colors enumeration.", colorString) & vbCrLf
End Try
Next
End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
' Converted '0' to None.
' Converted '2' to Green.
' 8 is not an underlying value of the Colors enumeration.
' Converted 'blue' to Blue.
' Converted 'Blue' to Blue.
' Yellow is not a member of the Colors enumeration.
' Converted 'Red, Green' to Red, Green.
using System;
[Flags]
enum Colors { None = 0, Red = 1, Green = 2, Blue = 4 };
public class Example
{
public static void Demo(System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock outputBlock)
{
string[] colorStrings = { "0", "2", "8", "blue", "Blue", "Yellow", "Red, Green" };
foreach (string colorString in colorStrings)
{
try
{
Colors colorValue = (Colors)Enum.Parse(typeof(Colors), colorString, true);
if (Enum.IsDefined(typeof(Colors), colorValue) | colorValue.ToString().Contains(","))
outputBlock.Text += String.Format("Converted '{0}' to {1}.", colorString, colorValue.ToString()) + "\n";
else
outputBlock.Text += String.Format("{0} is not an underlying value of the Colors enumeration.", colorString) + "\n";
}
catch (ArgumentException)
{
outputBlock.Text += String.Format("{0} is not a member of the Colors enumeration.", colorString) + "\n";
}
}
}
}
// The example displays the following output:
// Converted '0' to None.
// Converted '2' to Green.
// 8 is not an underlying value of the Colors enumeration.
// Converted 'blue' to Blue.
// Converted 'Blue' to Blue.
// Yellow is not a member of the Colors enumeration.
// Converted 'Red, Green' to Red, Green.
The ignoreCase parameter specifies whether this operation is case-sensitive.
Examples
The following example uses the Parse(Type, String, Boolean) method to parse the string representation of an enumeration value that consists of a bit field.
Public Class Example
<FlagsAttribute()> _
Enum Colors
Red = 1
Green = 2
Blue = 4
Yellow = 8
End Enum
Public Shared Sub Demo(ByVal outputBlock As System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock)
Dim myOrange As Colors = CType([Enum].Parse(GetType(Colors), "Red, Yellow", True), Colors)
outputBlock.Text += String.Format("The myOrange value {1} has the combined entries of {0}", myOrange, Convert.ToInt64(myOrange)) & vbCrLf
End Sub
End Class
'This code example produces the following results:
'
'The myOrange value 9 has the combined entries of Red, Yellow
'
using System;
public class Example
{
[FlagsAttribute]
enum Colors { Red = 1, Green = 2, Blue = 4, Yellow = 8 };
public static void Demo(System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock outputBlock)
{
Colors myOrange = (Colors)Enum.Parse(typeof(Colors), "Red, Yellow", true);
outputBlock.Text += String.Format("The myOrange value {1} has the combined entries of {0}",
myOrange, Convert.ToInt64(myOrange)) + "\n";
}
}
/*
This code example produces the following results:
The myOrange value 9 has the combined entries of Red, Yellow
*/
Version Information
Silverlight
Supported in: 5, 4, 3
Silverlight for Windows Phone
Supported in: Windows Phone OS 7.1, Windows Phone OS 7.0
XNA Framework
Supported in: Xbox 360, Windows Phone OS 7.0
Platforms
For a list of the operating systems and browsers that are supported by Silverlight, see Supported Operating Systems and Browsers.