枚举类型转换成字符串

使用枚举类型默认的ToString()方法，往往不能得到我们想要的输出的字符串。
如何方便的定义枚举类型中的每个值代表的字符串输出呢？
可以使用DescriptionAttribute, 写上想得到的字符串输出。

enum Direction

{

    [Description("Rover is facing to UP (Negtive Y)")]

    UP = 1,

    [Description("Rover is facing to DOWN (Positive Y)")]

    DOWN = 2,

    [Description("Rover is facing to RIGHT (Positive X)")]

    RIGHT = 3,

    [Description("Rover is facing to LEFT (Negtive X)")]

    LEFT = 4

}; 

使用下面的方法，来得到对应项的字符串。

/// <summary>

    /// Contains methods for working with <see cref="Enum"/>.

    /// </summary>

    public static class EnumHelper

    {

        /// <summary>

        /// Gets the specified enum value's description.

        /// </summary>

        /// <param name="value">The enum value.</param>

        /// <returns>The description or <c>null</c>

        /// if enum value doesn't have <see cref="DescriptionAttribute"/>.</returns>

        public static string GetDescription(this Enum value)

        {

            var fieldInfo = value.GetType().GetField(value.ToString());

            var attributes = (DescriptionAttribute[])fieldInfo.GetCustomAttributes(

                                                         typeof(DescriptionAttribute),

                                                         false);

            return attributes.Length > 0

                       ? attributes[0].Description

                       : null;

        }



        /// <summary>

        /// Gets the enum value by description.

        /// </summary>

        /// <typeparam name="EnumType">The enum type.</typeparam>

        /// <param name="description">The description.</param>

        /// <returns>The enum value.</returns>

        public static EnumType GetValueByDescription<EnumType>(string description)

        {

            var type = typeof(EnumType);

            if (!type.IsEnum)

                throw new ArgumentException("This method is destinated for enum types only.");

            foreach (var enumName in Enum.GetNames(type))

            {

                var enumValue = Enum.Parse(type, enumName);

                if (description == ((Enum)enumValue).GetDescription())

                    return (EnumType)enumValue;

            }

            throw new ArgumentException("There is no value with this description among specified enum type values.");

        }

    }

 进一步了解.net中的Attribue