c# loop through all fields of enum assigning values from string array

Question

I am building a Soap Body for a web-service, and there are dozens of optional fields.

Currently I have been handling these like this:

wsSoapBody.OrderType = aMessage[(int)cardCreate.OrderType].ToString();
wsSoapBody.ActivateFlag = Convert.ToInt32(aMessage[(int)cardCreate.ActivateFlag].ToString()); //P-02925;

if (aMessage[(int)cardCreate.ShipDate].ToString() != ""){
                wsSoapBody.ShipmentDate = Convert.ToDateTime(aMessage[(int)cardCreate.ShipDate].ToString()); //P-02925;
        }

wsSoapBody.ShipmentMethodCard = aMessage[(int)cardCreate.ShipMethodCard].ToString();
wsSoapBody.ShipmentMethodPin = aMessage[(int)cardCreate.ShipMethodPIN].ToString();

The CardCreate you see in those value assignments is an enumerated constant in the class cardCreate defined as below:

namespace EvryCardManagement
{
    class CardCreate
    {
        #region Variables

        private DCSSCardCreateType req;
        private DCSSCardCreateResponseType rsp;
        private DCSSCardCreate_V3_0Service stub;

        public string tokenID { get; set; }

        private enum cardCreate
        {
            MsgType = 0,
            MsgVersion = 1,
            WSName = 2,
            ReplyTo = 3,
            SourceSystem = 4,
            Timestamp = 5,
            UniqueMessageID = 6,
            SFDCContext = 7,
            InstitutionID = 8,
            CardNumber = 9,
            Version = 10,
            ProductID = 11,
            AccountNumber = 12,
            CustomerID = 13,
            CustomerNumber = 14,
            EmbossName1 = 15,
            Expiry = 16,
            FeeMonth = 17,
            ChargeAccountNo = 18,
            PINMethod = 19,
            CardFlag = 20,
            AddressTypeCard = 21,
            AddressTypePIN = 22,
            OrderType = 23,
            ActivateFlag = 24,
            ShipDate = 25,
            ShipMethodCard = 26,
            ShipMethodPIN = 27,
            FirstName = 28,
            LastName = 29,
            CardAddress1 = 30,
            CardAddress2 = 31,
            CardAddress3 = 32,
            CardAddress4 = 33,
            CardAddress5 = 34,
            CardAddress6 = 35,
            CardPostCode = 36,
            CardCity = 37,
            CardCountry = 38,
            PINName = 39,
            PINAddress1 = 40,
            PINAddress2 = 41,
            PINAddress3 = 42,
            PINAddress4 = 43,
            PINAddress5 = 44,
            PINAddress6 = 45,
            PINPostCode = 46,
            PINCity = 47,
            PINCountry = 48,
            Validfrom = 49,
            Note = 50,
            MakeCheckStatus = 51,
            EmbossName2 = 52,
            PAmount = 53,
            PAmountLength = 54,
            GKIndicator = 55,
            CreditLimit = 56,
            CardDesignNo = 57,
            ExtPictureID = 58,
            BulkID = 59,
            AccountNo2 = 60
        }

so, rather than doing them all one by one as I have been doing, is it possible to loop through the wsSoapBody (which is defined in the web-service) and for each one, get the corresponding value from the aMessage (which is defined as an array like this string[] aMessage)

EDIT

I have the below code to loop through, but I want to assign to the wsSoapBody and I am stuck:

foreach (cardCreate cItem in (cardCreate[])Enum.GetValues(typeof(cardCreate)))
 {
 }

(the above correction was suggested as an edit by Steve Lillis that was rejected due to a conflict)

so I don't know how then to assign the values to each element for example I want to set

wsSoapBody[cItem].value = aMessage[(int)CardCreate[cItem]`

or I also tried:

wsSoapBody[cItem] = aMessage[(int)cItem].ToString();

but am having trouble making it work (or even compile) due to lack of knowledge

EDIT #2:

I have also looked at GetNames as possibly I want the names and tried:

        foreach (string name in Enum.GetNames(typeof(cardCreate)))

        {
            wsSoapBody[name] = aMessage[(int)name].ToString();
        }

But I cannot apply indexing with [] to an expression of type 'DCSSCardCreateType'

thanks

Hi Jon, yes, I have used foreach (cardCreate cItem in (cardCreate[])Enum.GetValues(typeof(cardCreate))) { } BUT I don't know how then to assign the values to each element for example I want to set wsSoapBody[cItem].value = aMessage[(int)CardCreate[cItem] but am having strouble making it work — Our Man in Bananas
– Our Man in Bananas, Commented Jan 8, 2015 at 16:46
I am editing the question, I see that it isn't clear that I can get some of the way, but am having trouble assigning the values... — Our Man in Bananas
– Our Man in Bananas, Commented Jan 8, 2015 at 16:48
@CompuChip: I have edited the question and title to clarify that I have the enumerated loop but don't know how to assign values from my string array — Our Man in Bananas
– Our Man in Bananas, Commented Jan 8, 2015 at 16:52

ΩmegaMan · Accepted Answer · 2015-01-08 19:46:46Z

3

Why not place the values onto the enum itself and then enumerate?

For example using System.ComponentModel Description attribute we can add that information to the enum itself such as:

public enum cardCreate
{
  [Description("General Response")]
  MsgType = 0,

  [Description("V2.0")]
  WSName = 2,

  [Description("OmegaMan")]
  ReplyTo = 3,

  [Description("Windows 10")]
  SourceSystem = 4,
}

So when we call a special method to enumerate the enum where we can extract that text and use it appropriately later such as:

myextensions.GetEnumValues<cardCreate>()
            .Select (ceEnum => new
                        {
                            Original   = ceEnum,
                            IndexValue = (int)ceEnum,
                            Text       = ceEnum.GetAttributeDescription()
                        })

The dynamic entity will look like this after the projection (the select):

enter image description here

Sweet! Now we have all the information in a easy consumable entity which provides all the information needed.

What? You need more than a string description? Then create a custom attribute on the enum and have all items/types of data to return as needed. For that see my blog article C# Using Extended Attribute Information on Objects.

Here are the extension methods used in the above example:

public static class myextensions
{
   public static IEnumerable<T> GetEnumValues<T>()
   {
       Type type = typeof( T );

       if (!type.IsEnum)
           throw new Exception( string.Format("{0} is not an enum.", type.FullName ));

       FieldInfo[] fields =
           type.GetFields( BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Static );


       foreach (var item in fields)
           yield return (T)item.GetValue( null );
   }


  /// <summary>If an attribute on an enumeration exists, this will return that
   /// information</summary>
   /// <param name="value">The object which has the attribute.</param>
   /// <returns>The description string of the attribute or string.empty</returns>
   public static string GetAttributeDescription( this object value )
   {
       string retVal = string.Empty;
       try
       {
           retVal = value.GetType()
                         .GetField( value.ToString() )
                         .GetCustomAttributes( typeof( DescriptionAttribute ), false )
                         .OfType<DescriptionAttribute>()
                         .First()
                         .Description;

       }
       catch (NullReferenceException)
       {
           //Occurs when we attempt to get description of an enum value that does not exist
       }
       finally
       {
           if (string.IsNullOrEmpty( retVal ))
               retVal = "Unknown";
       }

       return retVal;
   }

}

edited Jan 8, 2015 at 19:46

answered Jan 8, 2015 at 17:53

ΩmegaMan

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7 Comments

Our Man in Bananas Over a year ago

I don't know if this is the exact answer that I want, but you put the work in, and it will probably do what I need, so thanks!

Our Man in Bananas Over a year ago

So if I implement this how could I loop through my wsSoapBody class setting all the values from my aMessage[] array of string values?

ΩmegaMan Over a year ago

@OurManInBananas you would need to reflect off the instance and beforehand provide a mapping to the enum which you then could gather the values.

Our Man in Bananas Over a year ago

yes that was what I was really asking in my question, or should I ask a new question for that? We have 12 web-services similar to cardCreate and they all have this problem where I need to set dozens of optional and mandatory fields in the wsSoapBody, so was looking for a way to re-use the same method for each one of them...

ΩmegaMan Over a year ago

@OurManInBananas I would ask a different question, for it will give you the freedom to illicit responses geared to the final answer.

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