EnumMemberAttribute

When you apply [EnumMember] to an enum member, the source generator can create additional methods that use the custom string value specified. If a member is not decorated with [EnumMember], the generator will simply use the literal enum name instead.

Example

using System.Runtime.Serialization;

[EnumGenerator]
public enum PaymentMethod
{
    [EnumMember(Value = "Credit card")]
    Credit,
    [EnumMember(Value = "Debit card")]
    Debit,
    Cash,
    Cheque
}

This will generate code on the following classes:

• PaymentMethodExtensions
• PaymentMethodFactory

Additional Features

1. ToEnumMemberValue()

   • A generated method in <EnumName>Extensions that returns the [EnumMember] Value (or the literal name if none is provided).
   • Example:

     string text = PaymentMethod.Credit.ToEnumMemberValue();
     // text == "Credit card"

2. TryParseFromEnumMemberValue()

   • A generated method in <EnumName>Factory that parses a string based on the [EnumMember] Value, falling back to the literal name otherwise.
   • Example:

     bool success = PaymentMethodFactory
         .TryParseFromEnumMemberValue("Debit card", out var result);
     // success == true, result == PaymentMethod.Debit

When to Use

Use EnumMemberAttribute when you want an enum’s string representation to differ from its actual member name, commonly for:

• User-facing text (e.g., "Credit card" vs. Credit)
• Integration with external systems or data contracts that require specific string values

This approach simplifies code maintenance and keeps your domain logic aligned with external or user-friendly naming conventions.