convertion of enum values to string and reversely

To convert enum to string it is best option to use Enum.ToString method

Example:

nimal animal = Animal.Cat;
string str = animal.ToString();  // "Cat"

To convert string to enum it is best option to use static method Enum.Parse .
Example:

string str = "Dog";
Animal animal = (Animal)Enum.Parse(typeof(Animal), str);  // Animal.Dog
Animal animal = (Animal)Enum.Parse(typeof(Animal), str, true); // case insensitive