How to Iterate Through Enum Values in C#

To iterate through all values of an enum in C#, you need to use the Enum.GetValues() method or Enum.GetValues<T>() generic method instead of trying to iterate over the enum type directly. The correct syntax is foreach (var value in Enum.GetValues(typeof(YourEnum))) or foreach (var value in Enum.GetValues<YourEnum>()), which will give you an array of all enum values that you can then loop through.

Contents

• Basic Syntax for Enum Iteration
• Different Approaches to Enum Iteration
• Handling Enum Names and Values
• Practical Examples and Use Cases
• Common Pitfalls and Solutions

Basic Syntax for Enum Iteration

The fundamental approach to iterating through enum values involves using the Enum.GetValues() method. This method returns an array containing all the values defined in the enumeration.

public enum Suit { Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades }

foreach (Suit suit in Enum.GetValues(typeof(Suit)))
{
    Console.WriteLine(suit);
}

The error you’re encountering - “Suit is a type but is used like a variable” - occurs because you’re trying to iterate over the enum type itself rather than its values. In C#, enum types cannot be directly iterated like collections.

For .NET 4.5 and later, you can use the generic version which provides cleaner syntax:

foreach (var suit in Enum.GetValues<Suit>())
{
    Console.WriteLine(suit);
}

According to the Microsoft Learn documentation, the GetValues<T>() method “retrieves an array of the values of the constants in a specified enumeration type.”

Different Approaches to Enum Iteration

Method 1: Using Enum.GetValues() with typeof()

This is the traditional approach compatible with all .NET versions:

foreach (int value in Enum.GetValues(typeof(MyEnum)))
{
    // Use the enum value
}

Method 2: Generic Enum.GetValues() Method (.NET 4.5+)

The generic syntax is more type-safe and concise:

foreach (var enumValue in Enum.GetValues<MyEnum>())
{
    // Use the enum value
}

Method 3: Using Enum.GetNames() for Names Only

If you only need the names of enum values as strings:

foreach (string name in Enum.GetNames(typeof(MyEnum)))
{
    Console.WriteLine(name);
}

As Chris Pietschmann explains, “The Enum.GetValues() method returns an Array of the Enum values” which can then be iterated using a foreach loop.

Handling Enum Names and Values

Sometimes you need both the names and values of enum members. Here’s how to handle both:

public enum LogLevel { Debug = 1, Info = 2, Warning = 3, Error = 4, Critical = 5 }

// Get values
var enumValues = Enum.GetValues(typeof(LogLevel));

// Loop through values
foreach (LogLevel enumValue in (LogLevel[])enumValues)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"{enumValue} = {(int)enumValue}");
}

The output would be:

Debug = 1
Info = 2
Warning = 3
Error = 4
Critical = 5

You can also combine both approaches to get names and values:

foreach (LogLevel level in Enum.GetValues<LogLevel>())
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Name: {level}, Value: {(int)level}");
}

As demonstrated in Josip Miskovic’s tutorial, this pattern shows how to “Loop through the array to get enum’s keys and values.”

Practical Examples and Use Cases

Example 1: Processing All Enum Values in a Method

public static void ProcessAllEnumValues<T>() where T : struct, Enum
{
    foreach (T value in Enum.GetValues<T>())
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"Processing {value}");
        // Your processing logic here
    }
}

// Usage
ProcessAllEnumValues<Suit>();

Example 2: Creating a Dictionary from Enum Values

public static Dictionary<int, string> CreateEnumDictionary<T>() where T : struct, Enum
{
    var result = new Dictionary<int, string>();
    
    foreach (T value in Enum.GetValues<T>())
    {
        result.Add((int)(object)value, value.ToString());
    }
    
    return result;
}

// Usage
var suitDict = CreateEnumDictionary<Suit>();

Example 3: Using Enum Values in UI Controls

// Populate a dropdown list with enum values
var comboBox = new ComboBox();
foreach (LogLevel level in Enum.GetValues<LogLevel>())
{
    comboBox.Items.Add(level);
}

Common Pitfalls and Solutions

Pitfall 1: Forgetting typeof() in older .NET versions

Error: Enum.GetValues(Suit) won’t work
Solution: Use Enum.GetValues(typeof(Suit))

Pitfall 2: Type casting issues

Issue: The GetValues method returns an array of type Array, not the specific enum type
Solution: Cast the result to the enum type

foreach (MyEnum value in Enum.GetValues(typeof(MyEnum)))
{
    // This works correctly
}

Pitfall 3: Handling custom enum values

When enums have custom integer values, remember to cast properly:

public enum Priority { Low = 1, Medium = 5, High = 10 }

foreach (Priority priority in Enum.GetValues<Priority>())
{
    int numericValue = (int)priority;
    Console.WriteLine($"{priority} = {numericValue}");
}

The Tutorialspoint guide provides a simple but effective example: “To loop through all the values of enum, use the Enum.GetValues()” method.

Sources

1. Microsoft Learn - Enum.GetValues Method
2. Stack Overflow - How to loop through all enum values in C#
3. Chris Pietschmann - C#: How to Enumerate over Enum values and names
4. Tutorialsteacher - How to loop through an enum in C#
5. Tutorialspoint - How to loop through all values of an enum in C#
6. Josip Miskovic - C#: How to enumerate an enum?
7. Net-Informations - How to loop through all enum values in C#

Conclusion

To iterate through all values of an enum in C#, always use Enum.GetValues() or Enum.GetValues<T>() instead of trying to iterate over the enum type directly. The key takeaways are:

1. Use foreach (var value in Enum.GetValues<YourEnum>()) for modern C# (.NET 4.5+)
2. Use foreach (var value in Enum.GetValues(typeof(YourEnum))) for compatibility with older .NET versions
3. Remember that you cannot iterate over the enum type itself - you must get its values first
4. For both names and values, combine Enum.GetValues() with casting and ToString() methods
5. The error “Suit is a type but is used like a variable” indicates you’re trying to iterate over the type rather than its values

This approach allows you to process all defined enum members programmatically, which is essential for creating dynamic UI elements, validating input, implementing business logic, and many other common programming scenarios.