How to create Enumerations in C#? [keyword: enum].

Enumeration are basically symbols that have fixed values. It is generally used in situations where we have to provide user with various fixed, per-defined choices or options. Let us consider an example of directions.

enum Directions{North, South, East, West};// syntax to declare an enum.


//Now creating an instance of Directions.


Directions D = Directions.East;

Console.WriteLine("{0}.", D); // Displays "East"

Thus the output is symbol itself rather than its value!

Given below is an example of a code implementing enum on a structure.

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Text;



namespace Enumerations

{

    class Program

    {



        static void Main(string[] args)

        {

            Employee E = new Employee("Shantanu", "Shirpure", 666,Employee.Genders.Male);

            Console.WriteLine(E.ToString());

            Console.ReadLine();

// if you dont use this command the console would compile and close immediately, and you wont be able to see the result.



        }



        struct Employee

        {

            public string firstName;

            public string lastName;

            public int id;

            public Genders gender;

            public Employee(string firstName, string lastName, int id, Genders gender) // this is a constructor.

            {



               //   firstName = firstName;

                this.firstName = firstName;

               // Here string firstName of struct Employee has scope

               //all through the methods hence to distinguish from parameters invoke this method.



                this.lastName = lastName;

                this.id = id;

               this.gender = gender;

            }





            public override string ToString() // this is a method.

            //override is a key word used to duplicate the systems method ToString with our own method

            //this is called as polymorphism

            {



                return firstName + " " + lastName + " (" + gender + "), ID " + id;



            }

           public enum Genders : int { Male, Female };

        }

    }

}

Conclusion:-

Enums therefore improve the code readability by providing symbols for set of values.