WPF Pull Enum Description if available for populating ComboBox - wpf

Question

I have an enum where some of the items have a DescriptionAttribute set.
I want to in my WPF app have a dropdown where the user can select an items from the enum, but I want the dropdown to utilize the Description value if it's available.
I wrote code to get the list of values (pull the description if available, else use name), and I have the XAML I'm trying to use for the Object Provider, but it doesn't populate anything.
The XAML works if I use GetValues with ObjectType Definition.
C#
public static string[] GetDescriptions(Enum enumType)
{
List<string> descriptions = new List<string>();
Type t = enumType.GetType();
foreach(string name in Enum.GetNames(t))
{
FieldInfo field = t.GetField(name);
object[] d = field.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DescriptionAttribute), true);
if (d.Any())
{
descriptions.Add(((DescriptionAttribute)d[0]).Description);
}
else
{
descriptions.Add(name);
}
}
return descriptions.ToArray();
}
XAML:
<ObjectDataProvider x:Key="SkillEnum" MethodName="KwCommon:EnumExtensions.GetDescriptions" >
<ObjectDataProvider.MethodParameters>
<x:Type TypeName="local:SkillLevels"/>
</ObjectDataProvider.MethodParameters>
</ObjectDataProvider>

Answer 1

I do something similar to bind an enum to a combobox. I have a couple of helper functions:
public static string GetEnumDescription<TEnum>(this TEnum value)
{
FieldInfo fi = value.GetType().GetField(value.ToString());
DescriptionAttribute[] attributes = (DescriptionAttribute[])fi.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DescriptionAttribute), false);
if (attributes != null && attributes.Length > 0)
{
return attributes[0].Description;
}
else
{
return value.ToString();
}
}
and this function that turns the enum into a list of keyvaluepairs:
public static IEnumerable<KeyValuePair<string, Enum>> GetEnumList(this Enum t, bool useDescription = true)
{
return Enum.GetValues(t.GetType()).Cast<Enum>().Select(e => new KeyValuePair<string, Enum>(useDescription == true ? e.GetEnumDescription() : e.ToString(), e)).ToList();
}
I create a converter (In my case markupextension, here is a link for that markupextension)
public class EnumToListConverter : ConverterMarkupExtension<EnumToListConverter>
{
public override object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
{
bool useDescription = true;
if (parameter is bool p)
{
useDescription = p;
}
if (value is Enum e)
{
return EnumHelper.GetEnumList(e, useDescription);
}
return DependencyProperty.UnsetValue;
}
public override object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
{
return DependencyProperty.UnsetValue;
}
}
Then in my xaml I use it like this:
<ComboBox Grid.Column="1" Grid.Row="1" ItemsSource="{Binding Applicant.RentOrOwn, Converter={local:EnumToListConverter}, Mode=OneTime}" SelectedValuePath="Value" DisplayMemberPath="Key" SelectedValue="{Binding Applicant.RentOrOwn, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged, ValidatesOnDataErrors=True, ValidatesOnExceptions=True, ValidatesOnNotifyDataErrors=True}"></ComboBox>
In this example I have an Applicant class which has a RentOrOwn enum property. This will show all the values available in the enum, and then update the RentOrOwn property when the user clicks the new selected value in an MVVM style.