C#

using System;

namespace EnumConvert
{
    public enum MyEnum
    {
        None = 0,
        First,
        Second,
        Third,
        Last
    }

    public static class EnumExtensions
    {
        public static Tenum ToEnum<Tenum>(this string str, bool ignoreCase = false)
            where Tenum : struct, Enum
        {
            if (Enum.TryParse<Tenum>(str, ignoreCase, out Tenum result))
                return result;

            throw new ArgumentException($"{str} is not a valid string for conversion to {typeof(Tenum).FullName}");
        }
    }

   class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            var none =("None").ToEnum<MyEnum>();
            Console.WriteLine($"'None' results in {none} with a value of {(int)none}");

            var first = "First".ToEnum<MyEnum>();
            Console.WriteLine($"'First' results in {first} with a value of {(int)first}");

            var last = "last".ToEnum<MyEnum>(true); 
            Console.WriteLine($"'last' results in {last} with a value of {(int)last}");

            try
            {
                last = "last".ToEnum<MyEnum>(false);
                Console.WriteLine($"'last' results in {last} with a value of {(int)last}");
            }
            catch
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Error trying to convert 'last' to MyEnum");
            }

            try
            {
                var random = "Random".ToEnum<MyEnum>(true);
                Console.WriteLine($"'Random' results in {random} with a value of {(int)random}");
            }
            catch
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Error trying to convert 'random' to MyEnum");
            }

        }
    }
}

Quote:

imho, you do pay a price for either one: the first example extends string; I think extending basic types is generally a mistake. In the second example, you pay a price for the rather awkward structure of the calling format.

BillWoodruff wrote:

1. where T : struct, Enum ... fails without 'struct, and 'struct must precede 'Enum

BillWoodruff wrote:

2. 'default cannot be used directly ... WeekDays.Default throws an error

 public static T IntToEnum<T>(int value, T defaultValue)
 {
     T enumValue = (Enum.IsDefined(typeof(T), value)) ? (T)(object)value : defaultValue;
     return enumValue;
 }

 public static T StringToEnum<T>(string value, T defaultValue)
 {
     T enumValue = (Enum.IsDefined(typeof(T), value)) ? (T)Enum.Parse(typeof(T), value) : defaultValue;
     return enumValue;
}