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!");