What does the [Flags] Enum Attribute mean in C#?

Question

From time to time I see an enum like the following:

[Flags]
public enum Options 
{
    None    = 0,
    Option1 = 1,
    Option2 = 2,
    Option3 = 4,
    Op         


        

Answer 1

• Flags are used when an enumerable value represents a collection of enum members.

• here we use bitwise operators, | and &

• Example

               [Flags]
               public enum Sides { Left=0, Right=1, Top=2, Bottom=3 }
  
               Sides leftRight = Sides.Left | Sides.Right;
               Console.WriteLine (leftRight);//Left, Right
  
               string stringValue = leftRight.ToString();
               Console.WriteLine (stringValue);//Left, Right
  
               Sides s = Sides.Left;
               s |= Sides.Right;
               Console.WriteLine (s);//Left, Right
  
               s ^= Sides.Right; // Toggles Sides.Right
               Console.WriteLine (s); //Left
  

Answer 2

You can also do this

[Flags]
public enum MyEnum
{
    None   = 0,
    First  = 1 << 0,
    Second = 1 << 1,
    Third  = 1 << 2,
    Fourth = 1 << 3
}

I find the bit-shifting easier than typing 4,8,16,32 and so on. It has no impact on your code because it's all done at compile time

Answer 3

@Nidonocu

To add another flag to an existing set of values, use the OR assignment operator.

Mode = Mode.Read;
//Add Mode.Write
Mode |= Mode.Write;
Assert.True(((Mode & Mode.Write) == Mode.Write)
  && ((Mode & Mode.Read) == Mode.Read)));

Answer 4

Flags allow you to use bitmasking inside your enumeration. This allows you to combine enumeration values, while retaining which ones are specified.

[Flags]
public enum DashboardItemPresentationProperties : long
{
    None = 0,
    HideCollapse = 1,
    HideDelete = 2,
    HideEdit = 4,
    HideOpenInNewWindow = 8,
    HideResetSource = 16,
    HideMenu = 32
}

Answer 5

I asked recently about something similar.

If you use flags you can add an extension method to enums to make checking the contained flags easier (see post for detail)

This allows you to do:

[Flags]
public enum PossibleOptions : byte
{
    None = 0,
    OptionOne = 1,
    OptionTwo = 2,
    OptionThree = 4,
    OptionFour = 8,

    //combinations can be in the enum too
    OptionOneAndTwo = OptionOne | OptionTwo,
    OptionOneTwoAndThree = OptionOne | OptionTwo | OptionThree,
    ...
}

Then you can do:

PossibleOptions opt = PossibleOptions.OptionOneTwoAndThree 

if( opt.IsSet( PossibleOptions.OptionOne ) ) {
    //optionOne is one of those set
}

I find this easier to read than the most ways of checking the included flags.

Answer 6

Combining answers https://stackoverflow.com/a/8462/1037948 (declaration via bit-shifting) and https://stackoverflow.com/a/9117/1037948 (using combinations in declaration) you can bit-shift previous values rather than using numbers. Not necessarily recommending it, but just pointing out you can.

Rather than:

[Flags]
public enum Options : byte
{
    None    = 0,
    One     = 1 << 0,   // 1
    Two     = 1 << 1,   // 2
    Three   = 1 << 2,   // 4
    Four    = 1 << 3,   // 8

    // combinations
    OneAndTwo = One | Two,
    OneTwoAndThree = One | Two | Three,
}

You can declare

[Flags]
public enum Options : byte
{
    None    = 0,
    One     = 1 << 0,       // 1
    // now that value 1 is available, start shifting from there
    Two     = One << 1,     // 2
    Three   = Two << 1,     // 4
    Four    = Three << 1,   // 8

    // same combinations
    OneAndTwo = One | Two,
    OneTwoAndThree = One | Two | Three,
}

---

Confirming with LinqPad:

foreach(var e in Enum.GetValues(typeof(Options))) {
    string.Format("{0} = {1}", e.ToString(), (byte)e).Dump();
}

Results in:

None = 0
One = 1
Two = 2
OneAndTwo = 3
Three = 4
OneTwoAndThree = 7
Four = 8