How get an Array with the EnumValues from a FlagEnum-Value

[MarkPhB]

Is it possible to get an Array with the Enum-Values from a FlagEnum-Value ? I mean the following. For example i have a enumation with flag-values like this:

public enum SampleEnum{
  Alpha = 1,
  Beta = 2,
  Gamma = 4,
  Delta = 8,
  Epsilon = 16
}

...and now i got a variable like this:

private SampleEnum var = SampleEnum.Alpha | SampleEnum.Gamma | SampleEnum.Epsilon;

My question is now is there a simple way to bring that values...

SampleEnum.Alpha | SampleEnum.Gamma | SampleEnum.Epsilon 

... in an array where the array contains the enum values of the flag-enum-value like this:

private SampleEnum[] varArray = new SampleEnum[3];

SampleEnum[0] SampleEnum.Alpha 
SampleEnum[1] SampleEnum.Gamma 
SampleEnum[2] SampleEnum.Epsilon 

I tried something like the following but it dont work =/

private SampleEnum var = SampleEnum.Alpha | SampleEnum.Gamma | SampleEnum.Epsilon;

private SampleEnum[] varArray = (SampleEnum[]) var ;

I hope you know what i mean.

[Luc Pattyn]

Hi, have a look at Enum.GetValues() ! PS: It is wise to add the [Flags] attribute if your enum contains only flags :)

Luc Pattyn [My Articles]

[Scott Dorman]

You can "cheat" as long as the enum is decorated with the Flags attribute by using the following code:

SampleEnum var = SampleEnum.Alpha | SampleEnum.Gamma | SampleEnum.Epsilon;
string[] varArray = var.ToString().Split("|");

This will give you a string array containing the three enum values as a string. You could then turn each string value back to it's enum value by using Enum.Parse.

----------------------------- In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday.

[MarkPhB]

No, dont want all values of the enum .....i just want the enum-values of the variable. Scott Dorman understood it right ;)

[MarkPhB]

hmm thanks, i thought about that solution already but i hoped that there are an better way to do this..... At least i could write a methode that returns an array with the values like this:

public static Enum[] GetArrayFromFlagEnumValue( Enum flagEnumValue ) {

	Type flagEnumType = flagEnumValue.GetType();
	object[] attributes = flagEnumType.GetCustomAttributes( typeof( FlagsAttribute ), false );

	if( attributes.Length > 0 ) {

		List enumValueArray = new List();
		int flagEnumIntValue = Convert.ToInt32( flagEnumValue );
		int tmpEnumIntValue = new int();
		Array reversedEnumValues = Enum.GetValues( flagEnumType );
		Array.Reverse( reversedEnumValues );

		foreach( Enum enumValue in reversedEnumValues ) {

			tmpEnumIntValue = Convert.ToInt32( enumValue );
			if( ( flagEnumIntValue - tmpEnumIntValue ) >= 0 ) {
				flagEnumIntValue = flagEnumIntValue - tmpEnumIntValue;

				enumValueArray.Add( enumValue );
			}
		}
		enumValueArray.Reverse();
		return enumValueArray.ToArray();
	}
	else {
		throw new ArgumentException( "The enumation of this value is not marked with the required FlagsAttribute!", "Enum value" );
	}
}