Array

Description

Arrays allow you to store multiple objects in a single variable.

The Array class is only available in Javascript.

Here is a basic example of what you can do with an array class:

function Start () {
    var arr = new Array ();

    // Add one element
    arr.Push ("Hello");

    // print the first element ("Hello")
    print(arr[0]);

    // Resize the array
    arr.length = 2;
    // Assign "World" to the second element
    arr[1] = "World";

    // iterate through the array
    for (var value : String in arr) {
        print(value);
    }
}

//The Array class is only available in Javascript.

There are two types of arrays in Unity, builtin arrays and normal Javascript Arrays. Builtin arrays (native .NET arrays), are extremely fast and efficient but they can not be resized.

They are statically typed which allows them to be edited in the inspector. Here is a basic example of how you can use builtin arrays:

// Exposes an float array in the inspector,
// which you can edit there.
var values : float[];

function Start () {
    // iterate through the array
    for (var value in values) {
        print(value);
    }

    // Since we can't resize builtin arrays
    // we have to recreate the array to resize it
    values = new float[10];

    // assign the second element
    values[1] = 5.0;
}

// example c# script showing how
// an array can be implemented.
using UnityEngine;
using System.Collections;

public class ExampleClass : MonoBehaviour
{
    // Exposes an float array in the inspector, which you can edit there.
    public float[] values;
    void Start()
    {
        foreach (float value in values)
        {
            print(value);
        }

        // Since we can't resize builtin arrays
        // we have to recreate the array to resize it
        values = new float[10];

        // assign the second element
        values[1] = 5.0F;
    }
}

Builtin arrays are useful in performance critical code (With Unity's javascript and builtin arrays you could easily process 2 million vertices using the mesh interface in one second.)

Normal Javascript Arrays on the other hand can be resized, sorted and can do all other operations you would expect from an array class. Javascript Arrays do not show up in the inspector. Note: You can easily convert between Javascript Arrays and builtin arrays.

function Start () {
    var array = new Array (Vector3(0, 0, 0), Vector3(0, 0, 1));
    array.Push(Vector3(0, 0, 2));
    array.Push(Vector3(0, 0, 3));

    // Copy the js array into a builtin array
    var builtinArray : Vector3[] = array.ToBuiltin(Vector3) as Vector3[];

    // Assign the builtin array to a js Array
    var newarr = new Array (builtinArray);

    // newarr contains the same elements as array
    print (newarr);
}

//The Array class is only available in Javascript.

Note that Array functions are upper case following Unity's naming convention. As a convenience for javascript users, Unity also accepts lower case functions for the array class.

Note: Unity doesn't support serialization of a List of Lists, nor an Array of Arrays.

Properties

Constructors

Public Methods