What's the reason [GenerateAuthoringComponent] generates an internal instead of a public class?

Unity Engine
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1

I often completely regenerate my prefabs from code, via an AssetPostprocessor, from blender and metadata files. In this process, I add GO components to the prefabs, usually via
go.AddComponent<SomeComponentAuthoring>();.
When [GenerateAuthoringComponent] is used, this is not possible, especially when it is used in 3rd party code.

What is the reason [GenerateAuthoringComponent] generates an internal class?

1 Like
2

Does it even generate a class anymore?

Anyway you can kind of hack this in using the existing menu implementation with a little reflection. For example

const string baseItem = "Component/Scripts/"; // how the menu works
var item = "BovineLabs.Movement.Data/Agent Evade"; // namespace/class name in unity's pretty format

var method = typeof(EditorApplication).GetMethod("ExecuteMenuItemOnGameObjects", BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Static);
method.Invoke(null, new object[] { $"{baseItem}{item}", Selection.gameObjects });

Someone might have a cleaner path of implementing this. I haven’t really played around with this except to confirm it works.

3

From the DOTS compiler inspector it looks like it:
class

using Unity.Entities;
using UnityEngine;

[Unity.Entities.DOTSCompilerGenerated]
[DisallowMultipleComponent]
internal class SomethingAuthoring : MonoBehaviour, IConvertGameObjectToEntity
{
    public float something;

    public void Convert(Entity entity, EntityManager dstManager, GameObjectConversionSystem conversionSystem)
    {
        Something componentData = default(Something);
        componentData.something = something;
        dstManager.AddComponentData(entity, componentData);
    }
}

I’m a bit confused by “existing menu implementation” – are you simply informing me I can use reflection to make this call go.AddComponent<SomeComponentAuthoring>(); even though SomeComponentAuthoring is internal? If so: thank you :slight_smile:

I’m still wondering if there is a good reason why the generated SomethingAuthoring is not public, so it can be used in code. I can think of naming collisions, but since I probably want the IComponent Something to have an Authoring component, it shouldn’t be an issue if the resulting SomethingAuthoring is public…???

Perhaps there was once a good reason, but it could be public now?

4

Interesting. I haven’t been able to find them in the project, but i haven’t looked too deep.

As for the menu stuff. That’s the internal method the add component menu calls to add them in inspector.

1 Like
5

Ah thanks. I’m not sure we’re talking about the same thing though. I’m asking, when using a library where somebody wrote:

[GenerateAuthoringComponent]
public struct Something : IComponentData { }

why the Unity team chose to generate SomethingAuthoring code that is internal. Why not make it public so I can reference and use SomethingAuthoring easily in my code? Seems overly defensive.

6

even if it were public, you can’t reference the generated dll from your code because the generated code needs to reference your code dll and you can’t have cyclic references

7

Ah, I should have been more specific, sorry. I mean downloaded packages and 3rd party assets.