Enum to int, why use type cast to int rather than Convert.ToInt32(Enum)?

Question

Been looking at the Enum to int qa's, There are plenty of type casting of (int)Enum , however I couldn't find any answers that suggests use of Convert.ToInt32(Enum).

Is there any reason for preferring typecast over using Convert.ToInt32 ?

I think you're talking about this one http://stackoverflow.com/a/909884/2187558 — LUIS PEREIRA, Nov 04 '15 at 23:28
The underlying type is already an int, you don't need to _convert_ it from an other datatype. — Pierre-Luc Pineault, Nov 04 '15 at 23:35

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 04 '15 at 23:41

By default, enums inherit from int, i.e. behind the scenes it is:

enum Foo : int
    {
        A,
        B
    }

In C#, there is no difference between Int32 and int. So using Convert.ToInt32(Foo.A) is a bit redundant, since performing (int)Foo.A will suffice. Personally, (int)Foo.A also reads much better. Note, you would only really have to watch this in situations where you defined your enum like so:

enum Foo : long
    {
       A,
       B
    }

Enum to int, why use type cast to int rather than Convert.ToInt32(Enum)?

1 Answers1