Enum localization

Question

How do you localize enums for a ListBoxFor where multiple options are possible?

For example an enum that contains roles:

public enum RoleType {     [Display(Description = "Administrator", ResourceType = typeof(Resource))]     Administrator = 1,     [Display(Description = "Moderator", ResourceType = typeof(Resource))]     Moderator = 2,     [Display(Description = "Webmaster", ResourceType = typeof(Resource))]     Webmaster = 3,     [Display(Description = "Guest", ResourceType = typeof(Resource))]     Guest = 4,     Etc.... = 5, } 

I have seen this done with dropdownlist/selectlists. But is there a way to do this for a multi select list?

[EDIT]

This is how I'd like to use it, which is how it works now but doesn't get translated in a different language:

var roles = from role r in Enum.GetValues(typeof(RoleType))             select new             {                Id = (int)Enum.Parse(typeof(RoleType), r.ToString()),                Name = r.ToString()             };  searchModel.roles = new MultiSelectList(roles, "Id", "Name"); 

Note: i have renamed the enum from Role to RoleType.

Answer 1

You can implement a description attribute.

public class LocalizedDescriptionAttribute : DescriptionAttribute {      private readonly string _resourceKey;     private readonly ResourceManager _resource;     public LocalizedDescriptionAttribute(string resourceKey, Type resourceType)     {         _resource = new ResourceManager(resourceType);         _resourceKey = resourceKey;     }      public override string Description     {         get         {             string displayName = _resource.GetString(_resourceKey);              return string.IsNullOrEmpty(displayName)                 ? string.Format("[[{0}]]", _resourceKey)                 : displayName;         }     } }  public static class EnumExtensions {     public static string GetDescription(this Enum enumValue)      {         FieldInfo fi = enumValue.GetType().GetField(enumValue.ToString());          DescriptionAttribute[] attributes =             (DescriptionAttribute[])fi.GetCustomAttributes(             typeof(DescriptionAttribute),             false);          if (attributes != null &&             attributes.Length > 0)             return attributes[0].Description;         else             return enumValue.ToString();     } } 

Define it like this:

public enum Roles {     [LocalizedDescription("Administrator", typeof(Resource))]     Administrator, ... } 

And use it like this:

var roles = from RoleType role in Enum.GetValues(typeof(RoleType))                     select new                     {                         Id = (int)role,                         Name = role.GetDescription()                     };  searchModel.roles = new MultiSelectList(roles, "Id", "Name");