Job dependencies

Unity analyzes the data dependencies of each system based on the ECS components that the system reads and writes. If a system that updates earlier in the frame reads data that a later system writes, or writes data that a later system reads, then the second system depends on the first. To prevent race conditions, the job scheduler makes sure that all the jobs a system depends on have finished before it runs that system's jobs.

A system's Dependency property is a JobHandle that represents the ECS-related dependencies of the system. Before OnUpdate(), the Dependency property reflects the incoming dependencies that the system has on prior jobs. By default, the system updates the Dependency property based on the components each job reads and writes as you schedule jobs in a system.

To override this default behavior, use the overloaded versions of Entities.ForEach and Job.WithCode that take job dependencies as an parameter and return the updated dependencies as a JobHandle. When you use the explicit versions of these constructions, ECS does not automatically combine the job handles with the system's Dependency property. You must combine them manually when required.

Note that the system Dependency property does not track the dependencies that a job might have on data passed through NativeArrays or other similar containers. If you write a NativeArray in one job, and read that array in another, you must manually add the JobHandle of the first job as a dependency of the second (typically by using JobHandle.CombineDependencies).

When you call Entities.ForEach.Run() the job scheduler completes all scheduled jobs that the system depends on before starting the ForEach iteration. If you also use WithStructuralChanges() as part of the construction, then the job scheduler completes all running and scheduled jobs. Structural changes also invalidate any direct references to component data. See sync points for more information.

See JobHandle and dependencies for more information.