Compare two List<enum> objects in C# -

i've 2 dictionaries like:

dictionary<string, object> dict1 = new dictionary<string, object>(); dictionary<string, object> dict2 = new dictionary<string, object>(); 

i want compare them few entries list<enum>, how can compare these list<enum> objects. please see following sample code:

enum days { monday, tuesday, wednesday } enum colors { red, green, blue } enum cars { acura, bmw, ford } 

populating dictionaries:

list<days> lst1 = new list<days>(); list<days> lst2 = new list<days>();  lst1.add(days.monday); lst1.add(days.tuesday);  lst2.add(days.monday); lst2.add(days.tuesday);  dict1.add("dayenum", lst1); dict2.add("dayenum", lst2);  foreach (keyvaluepair<string, object> entry in dict1) {     var t1 = dict1[entry.key];     var t2 = dict2[entry.key];      if (dict1[entry.key].gettype().isgenerictype && compare(dict1[entry.key], dict2[entry.key]))     {                 // list elements matches...     }      else if (dict1[entry.key].equals(dict2[entry.key]))     {                 // other elements matches...     } } 

it doesn't match unless provide exact enum i.e. ienumerable<days> need generic code work enum.

so far found following way compare, need generic comparision statement don't know enums:

private static bool compare<t>(t t1, t t2) {     if (t1 ienumerable<t>)     {         return (t1 ienumerable<t>).sequenceequal(t2 ienumerable<t>);     }     else     {         type[] generictypes = t1.gettype().getgenericarguments();         if (generictypes.length > 0 && generictypes[0].isenum)         {             if (generictypes[0] == typeof(days))             {                 return (t1 ienumerable<days>).sequenceequal(t2 ienumerable<days>);             }             else if (generictypes[0] == typeof(colors))             {                 return (t1 ienumerable<colors>).sequenceequal(t2 ienumerable<colors>);             }         }          return false;     } } 

first type of generic arguments type.getgenericarguments(), can call isenum on that.

so,

var listtype = dict1[entry.key].gettype(); if (listtype.isgenerictype) {    var typearguments = listtype.getgenericarguments();    //if have list<t> in there, can pull first 1    var generictype = typearguments[0];    if (generictype.isenum) {         // list elements matches...    }                 }  

in answer comment, if want compare 2 lists, can following. because have lists object in dictionary, you're better of creating own method check whether each element same element in other list, because sequenceequal have know type.

        var listtype = dict1[entry.key].gettype();         var secondlisttype = dict2[entry.key].gettype();         if (listtype.isgenerictype && secondlisttype.isgenerictype)         {             //if have list<t> in there, can pull first 1             var generictype = listtype.getgenericarguments()[0];             var secondgenerictype = secondlisttype.getgenericarguments()[0];             if (generictype.isenum && generictype == secondgenerictype && areequal((ilist)dict1[entry.key],(ilist)dict2[entry.key]))             {                                     // list elements matches...             }         }      public bool areequal(ilist first, ilist second)     {         if (first.count != second.count)         {             return false;         }          (var elementcounter = 0; elementcounter < first.count; elementcounter++)         {             if (!first[elementcounter].equals(second[elementcounter]))             {                 return false;             }         }         return true;     }