Binding to an enumeration

[Nathan]

I'd like to use an enumeration as a datasource for a drop-down box. Is there
a way to do this?

[Hans Kesting]

> I'd like to use an enumeration as a datasource for a drop-down box. Is there

a way to do this?

I don't think you can use straight databinding, however:
look into the Enum.GetNames() and Enum.GetValues( ) methods (and maybe
Enum.Parse() ). With these you can get the names and values in you enum
or translate a string into the enum value.
Hans Kesting

[Nathan]

I'm assuming that's because a databinding datasource must implement IList?
Then I guess the best way to do it would be to build a generic class that
generates an IList for any enum. I'll see if I can do something along those
lines. Thanks!

"Hans Kesting" wrote:

I'd like to use an enumeration as a datasource for a drop-down box. Is there
a way to do this?

I don't think you can use straight databinding, however:
look into the Enum.GetNames() and Enum.GetValues( ) methods (and maybe
Enum.Parse() ). With these you can get the names and values in you enum
or translate a string into the enum value.
Hans Kesting

[Jay B. Harlow [MVP - Outlook]]

Nathan,
As Han suggests:

Have you tried something like:

public enum SomeEnum
{
Value1 = 1,
Value2 = 2
}

Array list = Enum.GetValues( typeof(SomeEnum ));

Then bind the above list variable?

Some people bind to the names, via Enum.GetNames, as opposed to the
values. I prefer using the values as above in Windows Forms as the
ComboBox.Select edValue is the enum value rather then a string... In Web
Forms I don't see an advantage to using the values, but then again I have
not bound to enums in web forms...
Seeing as Enum.GetValues returns an Array, and Array implements IList you
can simply bind to the array that Enum.GetValues returns!
--
Hope this helps
Jay B. Harlow [MVP - Outlook]
..NET Application Architect, Enthusiast, & Evangelist
T.S. Bradley - http://www.tsbradley.net
"Nathan" <Na****@discuss ions.microsoft. com> wrote in message
news:27******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...
| I'd like to use an enumeration as a datasource for a drop-down box. Is
there
| a way to do this?

[Greg Young]

You should be able to use Enum.GetNames .. then use Enum.Parse(stri ng) on
the way back.

Cheers,

Greg
"Nathan" <Na****@discuss ions.microsoft. com> wrote in message
news:27******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

I'd like to use an enumeration as a datasource for a drop-down box. Is
there
a way to do this?

[Russell Mangel]

public partial class Form1 : Form
{
public Form1()
{
InitializeCompo nent();

comboBox1.DataS ource = Enum.GetValues( typeof(MyColors ));

}
public enum MyColors
{
Red,
White,
Blue,
Purple,
Green
}
}