C# Language Tutorial => Extension methods with Enumeration

Example

Extension methods are useful for adding functionality to enumerations.

One common use is to implement a conversion method.

public enum YesNo
{
    Yes,
    No,
}

public static class EnumExtentions
{
    public static bool ToBool(this YesNo yn)
    {
        return yn == YesNo.Yes;
    }
    public static YesNo ToYesNo(this bool yn)
    {
        return yn ? YesNo.Yes : YesNo.No;
    }
}

Now you can quickly convert your enum value to a different type. In this case a bool.

bool yesNoBool = YesNo.Yes.ToBool(); // yesNoBool == true
YesNo yesNoEnum = false.ToYesNo();   // yesNoEnum == YesNo.No

Alternatively extension methods can be used to add property like methods.

public enum Element
{
    Hydrogen,
    Helium,
    Lithium,
    Beryllium,
    Boron,
    Carbon,
    Nitrogen,
    Oxygen
    //Etc
}

public static class ElementExtensions
{
    public static double AtomicMass(this Element element)
    {
        switch(element)
        {
            case Element.Hydrogen:  return 1.00794;
            case Element.Helium:    return 4.002602;
            case Element.Lithium:   return 6.941;
            case Element.Beryllium: return 9.012182;
            case Element.Boron:     return 10.811;
            case Element.Carbon:    return 12.0107;
            case Element.Nitrogen:  return 14.0067;
            case Element.Oxygen:    return 15.9994;
            //Etc
        }
        return double.Nan;
    }
}

var massWater = 2*Element.Hydrogen.AtomicMass() + Element.Oxygen.AtomicMass();

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