VB.NET Enumerations – MSDN Documentation

What is an Enumeration?

An Enum (enumeration) is a distinct type that consists of a set of named constants called the enumerator list. Enums improve code readability and provide compile‑time checking.

Defining an Enum

Public Enum DaysOfWeek
    Sunday = 0
    Monday = 1
    Tuesday = 2
    Wednesday = 3
    Thursday = 4
    Friday = 5
    Saturday = 6
End Enum

Using an Enum

Dim today As DaysOfWeek = DaysOfWeek.Wednesday
If today = DaysOfWeek.Saturday OrElse today = DaysOfWeek.Sunday Then
    Console.WriteLine("Weekend!")
Else
    Console.WriteLine("Workday.")
End If

Common .NET Enums

Enum	Namespace	Description
System.ConsoleColor	System	Colors for console output
System.DayOfWeek	System	Days of the week (Sunday‑Saturday)
System.IO.FileMode	System.IO	Specifies how a file is opened
System.Net.HttpStatusCode	System.Net	Standard HTTP response codes
System.Drawing.Drawing2D.SmoothingMode	System.Drawing.Drawing2D	Smoothing options for rendering

Flags Attribute

When an enum represents a combination of values, apply <Flags>:

<Flags>
Public Enum FileAccess
    Read = 1
    Write = 2
    Execute = 4
    ReadWrite = Read Or Write
End Enum

Dim rights As FileAccess = FileAccess.Read Or FileAccess.Write
If (rights And FileAccess.Write) = FileAccess.Write Then
    Console.WriteLine("Can write")
End If

Best Practices

Use PascalCase for enum names and members.
Assign explicit values when the underlying numeric value matters.
Prefer Integer as the underlying type unless a smaller type is required.
Apply <Flags> only to enums meant for bitwise combinations.