Data bind enum properties to grid and display description

Question

This is a similar question to How to bind a custom Enum description to a DataGrid, but in my case I have multiple properties.

public enum ExpectationResult
{         


        

Answer 1

Based on the two other answers, I have put together a class that can generically convert between an arbitrary enum and a string using a Description attribute on each enum value.

This uses System.ComponentModel for the definition of DescriptionAttribute, and only supports conversion between T and String.

public class EnumDescriptionConverter : TypeConverter
{
    public override bool CanConvertFrom(ITypeDescriptorContext context, Type sourceType)
    {
        return (sourceType == typeof(T) || sourceType == typeof(string));
    }

    public override bool CanConvertTo(ITypeDescriptorContext context, Type destinationType)
    {
        return (destinationType == typeof(T) || destinationType == typeof(string));
    }

    public override object ConvertFrom(ITypeDescriptorContext context, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture, object value)
    {
        Type typeFrom = context.Instance.GetType();

        if (typeFrom == typeof(string))
        {
            return (object)GetValue((string)context.Instance);
        }
        else if (typeFrom is T)
        {
            return (object)GetDescription((T)context.Instance);
        }
        else
        {
            throw new ArgumentException("Type converting from not supported: " + typeFrom.FullName);
        }
    }

    public override object ConvertTo(ITypeDescriptorContext context, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture, object value, Type destinationType)
    {
        Type typeFrom = value.GetType();

        if (typeFrom == typeof(string) && destinationType == typeof(T))
        {
            return (object)GetValue((string)value);
        }
        else if (typeFrom == typeof(T) && destinationType == typeof(string))
        {
            return (object)GetDescription((T)value);
        }
        else
        {
            throw new ArgumentException("Type converting from not supported: " + typeFrom.FullName);
        }
    }

    public string GetDescription(T en)
    {
        var type = en.GetType();
        var memInfo = type.GetMember(en.ToString());

        if (memInfo != null && memInfo.Length > 0)
        {
            var attrs = memInfo[0].GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DescriptionAttribute), false);
            if (attrs != null && attrs.Length > 0)
                return ((DescriptionAttribute)attrs[0]).Description;
        }
        return en.ToString();
    }

    public T GetValue(string description)
    {
        foreach (T val in Enum.GetValues(typeof(T)))
        {
            string currDescription = GetDescription(val);
            if (currDescription == description)
            {
                return val;
            }
        }

        throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("description", "Argument description must match a Description attribute on an enum value of " + typeof(T).FullName);
    }
}