Using a variable in LoadNextSceen

[TerryG]

Why do we create a variable, currentScene, when it isn’t used. Why do we use this:

int currentScene = SceneManager.GetActiveScene().buildIndex;
SceneManager.LoadScene(currentScene + 1);

over this:

SceneManager.LoadScene(SceneManager.GetActiveScene().buildIndex + 1);

[Nina]

Hi Terry,

We did that for the sake of readability. Our currentScene variable represents our idea. If we take a look at this code in a couple of months, we’ll immediately know what the purpose of the next line is: LoadScene loads currentScene.

The one-liner could require some guesswork. GetActiveScene() might make sense but what about buildIndex? Maybe we will have to look that up to understand the code in the future.

I recently found this webcomic which sums the idea up pretty well, in my opinion:

As the years go by | Work Chronicles

Did this make sense?

---

See also:

• Forum User Guides : How to mark a topic as solved

[TerryG]

I understand what you are saying but it don’t make sense because
// that’s what a comment section is for, is it not?

But no worries, I am just trying to understand a little deeper. I can understand using a variable if one is going to use it. When it is included, I would expect it to be used somewhere and would be confused if I couldn’t find it in a “couple of months”. Thanks

[Nina]

Well, in the end, it’s a matter of personal preference whether you use a variable or not. There is no “right” and “wrong” because everybody has got their own habits. Some people are used to reading one-liners. Others aren’t.

The best would be if you just do what feels right for you now. I can explain a lot all day long but some things can only be learnt by experience. Write your code as you want, and in a couple of weeks or years, when you revise your older code or read other people’s code, you’ll very likely know what you could do to improve the readability for you.