Is void Start () { } required?

Unity Engine
1

Is void Start () { } required to be in the script if you are not using it? If not, can I delete it?

Im cleaning out my scripts of trash to make them as lean as possible.

Here is my entire script which works perfectly fine controlling the max v of my ball:

public class Ball : MonoBehaviour {
   
   public float xMaxV = 10f;
   public float yMaxV = 10f;

   // Use this for initialization
   void Start () {
   
   }
   
   // Update is called once per frame
     void Update () {

     var rb = GetComponent<Rigidbody2D> ();
     Vector3 vel = rb.velocity;
     rb.velocity = new Vector3 (Mathf.Clamp(vel.x, -(xMaxV), xMaxV), Mathf.Clamp(vel.y, -(yMaxV), yMaxV), Mathf.Clamp(vel.z, 0f, 10f));
     }
 }

Thx! :slight_smile:

2

You can delete it.

1 Like
3

Thx :slight_smile:

4

Next time you’re in doubt just experiment. If something breaks you’ll learn why and what not to do, if it doesn’t break you’re probably good to go :slight_smile:

3 Likes
5

In fact, to help you stay clean, go to where you downloaded unity and edit the script template to your desire.
For example…
C:\Program Files\Unity\Editor\Data\Resources\ScriptTemplates
There you should see all the script templates when making a new script in unity. The C# one should be called
“81-C# Script-NewBehaviourScript.cs.txt”. The default adds Update and Start. I edited it so they are removed, I also removed the “using system.collections” and set up the whitespacing as desired.

1 Like
6

This one is there so that IEnumerator is ready to be used for coroutines.

7

You should probably put that GetComponent in your start-method (or an awake-method), so it only caches once instead of every frame.

2 Likes
8

+1 to what DuffyT said.
Remember that Update function is called several times per second and except you are doing some magic, it will be good idea / practice to retrieve the component only once… and the Start method it is the right place.

9

Thanks guys.

This ball object the script is connected to is continuously moving around pretty fast.

So by placing it in the Start method it will keep these restrictions on the ball at all times?

10

Just wanted to say thanks for this. Really useful for me. I added system.collections.generic to mine, since I’m using lists a lot on my current project. I’ll keep a note on this so I can use it in later games

1 Like
11

Start is called before the first frame that an object is active. So, Activate Object>Start>Update Each Frame

Start is typically used for initialization, like storing components or values, or initializing values. Update is used to make changes to those values or any other values

12

Killing start will buy you almost nothing in terms of performance. It’s still worth doing for clean code. To optimise this script you want to kill the GetComponent inside Update.

That said there is nothing in this script that will tax even the most ancient of devices.

13

Yeah I know my stuff is simple for the moment. Its the cleaning of the code you mentioned that is what I was doing. :slight_smile:

14

Very true, but it’s still good practice to start doing it that way for the future. I have over 50 classes in my current project that require some sort of caching (some alot more than others) and I can’t image what it would do to performance if they all constantly got and ‘re-got’ their components in update. :stuck_out_tongue: