What is the default value for enum variable?

Question

An enum variable, anyone know if it is always defaulting to the first element?

Answer 1

It is whatever member of the enumeration represents the value 0. Specifically, from the documentation:

The default value of an enum E is the value produced by the expression (E)0.

As an example, take the following enum:

enum E
{
    Foo, Bar, Baz, Quux
}

Without overriding the default values, printing default(E) returns Foo since it's the first-occurring element.

However, it is not always the case that 0 of an enum is represented by the first member. For example, if you do this:

enum F
{
    // Give each element a custom value
    Foo = 1, Bar = 2, Baz = 3, Quux = 0
}

Printing default(F) will give you Quux, not Foo.

If none of the elements in an enum G correspond to 0:

enum G
{
    Foo = 1, Bar = 2, Baz = 3, Quux = 4
}

default(G) returns literally 0, although its type remains as G (as quoted by the docs above, a cast to the given enum type).

Answer 2

I think it's quite dangerous to rely on the order of the values in a enum and to assume that the first is always the default. This would be good practice if you are concerned about protecting the default value.

enum E
{
    Foo = 0, Bar, Baz, Quux
}

Otherwise, all it takes is a careless refactor of the order and you've got a completely different default.

Answer 3

You can use this snippet :-D

using System;
using System.Reflection;

public static class EnumUtils
{
    public static T GetDefaultValue<T>()
        where T : struct, Enum
    {
        return (T)GetDefaultValue(typeof(T));
    }

    public static object GetDefaultValue(Type enumType)
    {
        var attribute = enumType.GetCustomAttribute<DefaultValueAttribute>(inherit: false);
        if (attribute != null)
            return attribute.Value;

        var innerType = enumType.GetEnumUnderlyingType();
        var zero = Activator.CreateInstance(innerType);
        if (enumType.IsEnumDefined(zero))
            return zero;

        var values = enumType.GetEnumValues();
        return values.GetValue(0);
    }
}

Example:

using System;

public enum Enum1
{
    Foo,
    Bar,
    Baz,
    Quux
}
public enum Enum2
{
    Foo  = 1,
    Bar  = 2,
    Baz  = 3,
    Quux = 0
}
public enum Enum3
{
    Foo  = 1,
    Bar  = 2,
    Baz  = 3,
    Quux = 4
}
[DefaultValue(Enum4.Bar)]
public enum Enum4
{
    Foo  = 1,
    Bar  = 2,
    Baz  = 3,
    Quux = 4
}

public static class Program 
{
    public static void Main() 
    {
        var defaultValue1 = EnumUtils.GetDefaultValue<Enum1>();
        Console.WriteLine(defaultValue1); // Foo

        var defaultValue2 = EnumUtils.GetDefaultValue<Enum2>();
        Console.WriteLine(defaultValue2); // Quux

        var defaultValue3 = EnumUtils.GetDefaultValue<Enum3>();
        Console.WriteLine(defaultValue3); // Foo

        var defaultValue4 = EnumUtils.GetDefaultValue<Enum4>();
        Console.WriteLine(defaultValue4); // Bar
    }
}