Create dropdown list for enum with description C#

Question

I want to create a dropdown list using description of enum instead of its value.

I'd like to know how to get descriptions instead of values in the following code which creates a dropdown list for enum :

    public static MvcHtmlString DropDownListForEnum<TModel, TEnum>(this HtmlHelper<TModel> htmlHelper, Expression<Func<TModel, TEnum>> expression)
    {
        // get expression property description
        ModelMetadata metadata = ModelMetadata.FromLambdaExpression(expression, htmlHelper.ViewData);

        IEnumerable<TEnum> values = Enum.GetValues(typeof(TEnum)).Cast<TEnum>();

        IEnumerable<SelectListItem> items =
            values.Select(value => new SelectListItem
            {
                Text = value.ToString(),
                Value = value.ToString(),
                Selected = value.Equals(metadata.Model)
            });

        return htmlHelper.DropDownListFor(
            expression,
            items
            );
    }

possible duplicate of How to get string list of Enum descriptions? — Mario Stoilov
– Mario Stoilov, Commented Mar 7, 2014 at 9:41

frikinside · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-07 16:15:51Z

First, make a new method to get the description like shown below:

public static string GetDescription<T>(string value)
        {
            Type type = typeof(T);
            if (typeof(T).IsGenericType && typeof(T).GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(Nullable<>))
            {
                type = Nullable.GetUnderlyingType(type);
            }

            T enumerator = (T)Enum.Parse(type, value);

            FieldInfo fi = enumerator.GetType().GetField(enumerator.ToString());

            DescriptionAttribute[] attributtes =
                (DescriptionAttribute[])fi.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DescriptionAttribute), false);

            if (attributtes != null && attributtes.Length > 0)
                return attributtes[0].Description;
            else
                return enumerator.ToString();
        }

And then use it in your helper:

    public static MvcHtmlString DropDownListForEnum<TModel, TEnum>(this HtmlHelper<TModel> htmlHelper, Expression<Func<TModel, TEnum>> expression)
{
    // get expression property description
    ModelMetadata metadata = ModelMetadata.FromLambdaExpression(expression, htmlHelper.ViewData);

    IEnumerable<TEnum> values = Enum.GetValues(typeof(TEnum)).Cast<TEnum>();

    IEnumerable<SelectListItem> items =
        values.Select(value => new SelectListItem
        {
            Text = value.ToString(),
            Value = GetDescription<TEnum>(value.ToString()),
            Selected = value.Equals(metadata.Model)
        });

    return htmlHelper.DropDownListFor(
        expression,
        items
        );
}

gericooper · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-07 10:08:17Z

0

Use Enum getnames to get the names

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.enum.getnames(v=vs.110).aspx

answered Mar 7, 2014 at 10:08

gericooper

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