How to use GetComponents() in C#

Took me a while to figure this out, so I thought I'd share it.

Usually you pass a string to GetComponent (singular):
Transform myTransform = GetComponent("Transform");

But for some reason this doesn't work with GetComponents();

If you try it without the quotes:
NetworkView[] myArray = GetComponents(NetworkView);
it's no good either.

Finally I found a solution:
NetworkView[] myArray = (NetworkView[])GetComponents(typeof(NetworkView));

typeof() = magical goodness

Hope this helps someone down the road =)

 

Yup, that's the way it's done ;-)

The cool thing about using typeof(ClassName) is that you get a compiler error when you have a typo in ClassName. With GetComponent("ClasName") you might end up having a really bad time wondering why this doesn't work. With GetComponent(typeof(ClasName)) the compiler immediately tells you that there is no such type named "ClasName" and you can fix it immediately and painlessly ;-)

Sunny regards,
Jashan

 

Also note :


CharacterController pcontroller=gameObject.GetComponent("CharacterController") as CharacterController;


this also looks very different in c# to it's far simpler javascript

pcontroller = GetComponent(CharacterController);

what a brain killer :?

 

But JS hides what it does which will break your neck when you decide to move a script to the iphone which you won't be able to do if you use the "auto-magic" way ...

 

but how is this done in Gameobject? Say if you have a code like this in javascript,

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. var nextGO : GameObject = GetComponent(someScript).nextGO;

how is it in C#?

 

I think it have to be like that

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. GameObject nextGO = ((someScript)GetComponent(typeof(someScript))).nextGO;
3.  

But i prefer to set an reference in the editor and just drag the scripts i need there on it so you don´t have to use GetComponent because it is slow if done often.

 

Yeah, using string lookup is slower, and not necessary in usual cases. Also unless you find it "as" the class you want, you may get it morphed to a parent class. I think the precise way to do it this is:

Code (csharp):

1. Transform myTransform = GetComponent(typeof(Transform)) as Transform;

That way, you get it by type and not name lookup, but also specifically get the exact derived class you want, and with Intellisense completion on that exact class's methods, even if it's a derived class. Incidentally, there is a convenient, built-in shortcut that does both of these in a more terse way:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. Transform myTransform = GetComponent<Transform>();

You can see that the definition for this is what is in the previous example.

Code (csharp):

1. public T GetComponent<T> () where T : Component
2. {
3.     return this.GetComponent (typeof(T)) as T;
4. }

 

Please see the rules about pointless necro-posting. There was no need to reply to a post from 2008.

--Eric