How do you convert a string into an enum?

 it's one of those methods that you can never find when you're looking for it, but once discovered it seems blindingly obvious:

   object Enum.Parse(System.Type enumType, string value, bool ignoreCase);

So you can write the following kind of code:

   enum Colour    {       Red,       Green,       Blue    }      // ...    Colour c = (Colour) Enum.Parse(typeof(Colour), "Red", true);    Console.WriteLine("Colour Value: {0}", c.ToString());     // Picking an invalid colour throws an ArgumentException. To    // avoid this, call Enum.IsDefined() first, as follows:    string nonColour = "Polkadot";     if (Enum.IsDefined(typeof(Colour), nonColour))       c = (Colour) Enum.Parse(typeof(Colour), nonColour, true);    else       MessageBox.Show("Uh oh!");

What a time saver - thanks