Get int value from enum in C#

I have a class called `Questions` (plural). In this class there is an enum called `Question` (singular) which looks like this.

public enum Question
{
Role = 2,
ProjectFunding = 3,
TotalEmployee = 4,
NumberOfServers = 5,
TopBusinessConcern = 6
}

In the `Questions` class I have a `get(int foo)` function that returns a `Questions` object for that `foo`. Is there an easy way to get the integer value off the enum so I can do something like this `Questions.Get(Question.Role)`?

Question question = Question.Role;
int value = (int) question;
Will result in `value == 2`.

Try this one instead of convert enum to int:


public static class ReturnType
{
public static readonly int Success = 1;
public static readonly int Duplicate = 2;
public static readonly int Error = -1;
}

On a related note, if you want to get the `int` value from `System.Enum`, then given `e` here:

Enum e = Question.Role;

You can use:

int i = Convert.ToInt32(e);
int i = (int)(object)e;
int i = (int)Enum.Parse(e.GetType(), e.ToString());
int i = (int)Enum.ToObject(e.GetType(), e);

The last two are plain ugly. I prefer the first one.

int number = Question.Role.GetHashCode();

`number` should have the value `2`.

Since Enums can be any integral type (`byte`, `int`, `short`, etc.), a more robust way to get the underlying integral value of the enum would be to make use of the `GetTypeCode` method in conjunction with the `Convert` class:

enum Sides {
Left, Right, Top, Bottom
}
Sides side = Sides.Bottom;

object val = Convert.ChangeType(side, side.GetTypeCode());
Console.WriteLine(val);

This should work regardless of the underlying integral type.