Validate Attribute

Attribute to create custom validation

Parameters:

  • string validationMessage: The message to display in the console when validation fails

  • string conditionName: The name of the condition to evaluate

  • optional, MessageMode severety: The severety of the failed validation

  • optional, bool buildKiller: Throws an error during build time and cancels it if validation fails

  • optional, bool applyToCollection: Validate the whole collection instead of individual items

Example:

using UnityEngine;
using EditorAttributes;

public class AttributesExample : MonoBehaviour
{
        [Validate("The value must be positive", nameof(CheckNegative), buildKiller: true)]
        [SerializeField] private int intField;

        [Validate("The string can't be empty", nameof(CheckEmpty), MessageMode.Warning)]
        [SerializeField] private string stringField;

        private bool CheckNegative => intField < 0;
        private bool CheckEmpty() => stringField == string.Empty;
}
../../_images/Validate01.png

By default the validation will be applied to the collection itself, but you can also make it apply to each individual item in the collection by setting the applyToCollection parameter to false. Now if you add a int parameter to a validation function it will give you access to the index of the current collection item for you to validate:

using UnityEngine;
using EditorAttributes;

public class AttributesExample : MonoBehaviour
{
[Validate("The value must be positive", nameof(CheckNegative), applyToCollection: false)]
[SerializeField] private int[] intArray;

private bool CheckNegative(int index) => intArray[index] < 0;
}

This will make the validation check each item in the collection and throw an error for each failed item instead of just one error for the whole collection.

../../_images/Validate06.png

If you want to do more advanced validation like doing multiple validations on one field you can use a function returning a ValidationCheck:

using UnityEngine;
using EditorAttributes;

public class AttributesExample : MonoBehaviour
{
        [Validate(nameof(AdvancedCheck))]
        [SerializeField] private int intField;

        private ValidationCheck AdvancedCheck()
        {
                if (intField < 0)
                        return ValidationCheck.Fail("Number can't be less than 0", MessageMode.Error, true);

                if (intField > 100)
                        return ValidationCheck.Fail("Number can't be more than 100", MessageMode.Warning);

                return ValidationCheck.Pass();
        }
}
../../_images/Validate05.gif

To validate your project go to the engine toolbar and look for Tools/EditorValidation and select whatever you want to validate.

../../_images/Validate03.png

  • Validate All combines the process of Validate Assets and Validate Scenes.

  • Validate Assets will validate every prefab and scriptable object inside the Assets folder.

  • Validate Scenes will validate every scene in the active scene list in the build settings.

  • Validate Open Scenes will validate every scene currently loaded in the hierarchy whether is added in the active build settings scene list or not.

Once you select what you want to validate it will begin the validation process. Note that the validation process may take a while depending on the size of the project. When is done it will throw some logs in the console with the results of the validation and errors for failed validations.

../../_images/Validate02.png

Notice how one of the validations has a red (Build Killer) text. Those appear when you set the buildKiller parameter to true, what it means is that when you are trying to build the project if you have any failed validations marked as a build killer it will cancel the build and throw the validation logs in the console. You can disable build validation in the EditorAttributes Settings

../../_images/Validate04.png