Is ECS the same as component-based programming?

Unity Engine
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Hi,
I was watching a video about what ECS is in a very briefly way (this one), and now I am confused. My initial plan for my game was modular component-based programming, just like in this post:

[unity forum thread link]
my main goal is to make my game have a modular programming (which is good for debugging and making it easier for modders and for me).

But apparently Unity ECS (from what I understand) already does that and a little more.
Based on the post link mentioned earlier, is the ECS the same thing as programming using components? What would be the difference between using ECS and component-based programming?

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ECS is entity-component-system. Entities are just an index that “connects” multiple Components together, Components are just data that Systems uses as input/output, Systems are where the logic is implemented. Here everything is about data (data-oriented design)

Component-based programming is a very broad term but the thread you linked too is about OOP composition which is the way that the standard Unity works. MonoBehaviour have both the data and the logic. Here everything is object-oriented.

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Oh my… a little more.
I am so sure that you will be absolutely overwhelmed. As everyone else does.:wink:

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The free webbook Data-Oriented Design by Richard Fabian gives a good introduction into DOD. It’s not specifically for Unity but covers more the philosophy behind DOD. If you decide to use ECS (which I encourage albeit it’s a bit rough yet) it is a “must read”. The printed version contains more content.

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Both ECS and Unity’s current tech stack (MonoBehaviours) are component-based.

If you just want to get 'er done, use Unity’s current-gen tech and wait on ECS. MonoBehaviour is MUCH more modder-friendly (likely even after ECS is released, since some of the choices in ECS don’t lend themselves well to modding the same way that object-oriented code does). Which one is easier to debug is debatable; someday ECS probably will be, but right now there aren’t many debugging tools, so you’ll likely have an easier time in MB land.

If you’re looking to learn something on a hobby project, ECS is a good choice. Also, if you need very high performance on a CPU-bound game, full ECS can be the way to go – if you’re doing a large open world, an RTS with thousands of units per side, or a massive city sim, ECS starts getting very tempting.

However, you can use jobs+burst from MonoBehaviour which will get you a lot of the advantages of DOTS without having to restructure your game or use SRPs.

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Wow, I didn’t expect to receive so many well-explained responses in such a short period of time.
Really thanks for the answers, they ended up solving my doubts and others that could come in the future.

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