Inspector remembers [HideInInspector] variables

Questions & Answers
1

The inspector remembers values of variables that are set to be hidden in the Inspector which I think it should not do. My test script looks like this:

class MyClass : MonoBehaviour
{
    [HideInInspector]
    public string myText = "111";

    void Start()
    {
         Debug.Log("myText: " + myText);
    }
}

Now I attach the script to a gameObject, run the project and get “myText: 111” in the console as expected.

Then I change the “111” in my script to something else i.e. “222”, run the project again and still get “myText: 111” in the console.

Now I reset my Script component in the inspector, run the project once more and get the expected “myText: 222” in the console.

I would say this is a bug since [HideInInspector] should make unity to ignore the variable and not remember its current value. Or is this now intended behaviour?

2

HideInInspector makes it not visible, but it is still serialized as normal. You probably want to add System.NonSerialized

3

[HideInInspector] does exactly what its name suggests, it prevents it being visible in the inspector.

It is still a public variable so Unity still serializes it for you.

NonSerialized does both, it hides it in the inspector and prevents it being serialized.