'error 0103 using a switch statement with cross script strings in Unity (C#)

what im trying to do is test a public string named enemyBehaviorStatus that exists on another script in this function, and swap the material accordingly. I can reference the function on the other script, but when i try to make the switch statement test the enemyBehaviorStatus it gives me error 0103: name 'enemyBehaviorStatus' does not exist on line 28 (switch (enemyBehaviorStatus))

Thank you for the help much appreciated

this is the colorchanging script

using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.UI;

public class ChangeMaterialColor : MonoBehaviour
{
    
    public GameObject enemy;
    public Material Material1;
    public Material Material2;
    public Material Material3;
    
    // Start is called before the first frame update
    void Start()
    {
        
    }

    // Update is called once per frame
    void Update()
    {
        
    }
    
    public void swapMaterial()
    {
        switch (enemyBehaviorStatus)
        {
            case "passive":      
        enemy.GetComponent<MeshRenderer> ().material = Material1;
            break;
            
            case "agressive":      
        enemy.GetComponent<MeshRenderer> ().material = Material2;
            break;
            
            case "wounded":      
        enemy.GetComponent<MeshRenderer> ().material = Material3;
            break;
            
            default:       
        enemy.GetComponent<MeshRenderer> ().material = Material1;
            break;      
        }
    }
}

this is the enemy behavior script with enemyBehaviorStatus in it

using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.AI;

public class EnemyNavAI : MonoBehaviour
{
    
    public Transform agentGoal;
    private NavMeshAgent nmAgent;
    public string enemyBehaviorStatus = "passive";
    
    
    // Start is called before the first frame update
    void Start()
    {
        nmAgent = GetComponent<NavMeshAgent>();
        this.GetComponent<ChangeMaterialColor>().swapMaterial();
        //nmAgent.destination = agentGoal.position;
    }

    // Update is called once per frame
    void Update()
    {
        if (enemyBehaviorStatus == "agressive")
        {
             nmAgent.destination = agentGoal.position;
             this.GetComponent<ChangeMaterialColor>().swapMaterial();
        } 
        
        if (enemyBehaviorStatus == "wounded")
        {
            //nmAgent.destination = agentGoal.position - (gameObject.tag == "Player").position;
            this.GetComponent<ChangeMaterialColor>().swapMaterial();
        }
    }
    
    void OnTriggerEnter(Collider other)
    {
        if (other.gameObject.tag == "Player")
         {
        nmAgent.destination = agentGoal.position;
        enemyBehaviorStatus = "agressive";
        this.GetComponent<ChangeMaterialColor>().swapMaterial();
         }
    }
}
c++sharp


Solution 1:[1]

The swapMaterial() method needs to take in the string as a parameter unless enemyBahaviorStatus is a class property.

So essentially:

swapMaterial(string enemyBahaviourStatus) {...}

OR

Public string enemyBahaviourStatus;

(and a value is assigned somewhere else in your code).

Solution 2:[2]

I dont know if this is the best method, but i did fix it by making a string called enemyStatus in the color changing script and assigning it to equal:

enemy.GetComponent<EnemyNavAI>().enemyBehaviorStatus;

I then just inserted enemyStatus into the switch testing () and it works as intended. Colors change when enemyBehaviorStatus changes.

Solution 3:[3]

You need to add enemyBehaviorStatus as a parameter to the swapMaterial method:

public void swapMaterial(string enemyBehaviorStatus)
{
    // ...
}

And then pass it every time you call swapMaterial:

this.GetComponent<ChangeMaterialColor>().swapMaterial(enemyBehaviorStatus);

This should work, and (in my opinion) is also the preferred approach:

  • If A wants B to do something that needs a value X, and A has the X, then A should pass X to B.
  • In your answer you make B responsible to go look for an instance of A (assuming or hoping there is an A), and then to fetch the X from it (assuming or hoping that this A contains the X that it needs and not some other X).

Sources

This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Overflow and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Source: Stack Overflow

Solution Source
Solution 1 Jeremy Caney
Solution 2 Jeremy Caney
Solution 3

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