How to compare Enum values in C#?
Last Updated :
23 Jul, 2019
Enum.CompareTo(Object) Method is used to compare the current instance to a specified object and returns an indication of their relative values.
Syntax:
public int CompareTo (object target);
Here, the target is an object to compare or it may be null.
Returns: This method returns a signed number which shows the relative values of the current instance and target as follows:
- Less than zero: If the value of the current instance is less than the value of target.
- Zero: If the value of the current instance is equal to the value of the target.
- Greater than zero: If the value of the current instance is greater than the value of the target or the target is null.
Exceptions:
- ArgumentException: If the target and current instance are not the same types.
- InvalidOperationException: If the instance is not type SByte, Int16, Int32, Int64, Byte, UInt16, UInt32, or UInt64.
- NullReferenceException: If the current instance is null.
Below programs illustrate the use of the above-discussed method:
Example 1:
using System;
public class GFG
{
enum Color
{
RED, GREEN, BLUE
};
public static void Main(String[] args)
{
Color c1 = Color.RED;
Color c2 = Color.GREEN;
Color c3 = Color.RED;
Color c4 = Color.BLUE;
Console.Write( "Comparing {0} with {1} : " , c1, c2);
Console.WriteLine(c1.CompareTo(c2));
Console.Write( "Comparing {0} with {1} : " , c1, c3);
Console.WriteLine(c1.CompareTo(c3));
Console.Write( "Comparing {0} with {1} : " , c4, c2);
Console.WriteLine(c4.CompareTo(c2));
}
}
|
Output:
Comparing RED with GREEN : -1
Comparing RED with RED : 0
Comparing BLUE with GREEN : 1
Example 2:
using System;
public class GFG
{
enum Color{Red, Blue};
enum Seasons {Winter, Summer};
public static void Main(String[] args)
{
Color c1 = Color.Red;
Color c2 = Color.Blue;
Seasons s1 = Seasons.Winter;
Seasons s2 = Seasons.Summer;
Console.Write( "Comparing {0} with {1} : " , c1, c2);
Console.WriteLine(c1.CompareTo(c2));
Console.Write( "Comparing {0} with {1} : " , c1, s1);
Console.WriteLine(c1.CompareTo(s1));
}
}
|
Runtime Error:
Unhandled Exception:
System.ArgumentException: Object must be the same type as the enum. The type passed in was ‘GFG+Seasons’; the enum type was ‘GFG+Color’.
at System.Enum.CompareTo (System.Object target) <0x7ff9d1544610 + 0x000da> in <0f8aeac9d63d4b8aa575761bb4e65b79>:0
Reference:
Share your thoughts in the comments
Please Login to comment...