Csharp Field and Property

❌ In C# a “property” is not the same as a “field”. They are very different concepts.

📦 Field

= a variable that holds data inside a class

It’s the actual storage for data.

public class Player
{
    public int score; // ← this is a field
}

• Has no logic, just raw memory.

• Can be public or private.

• If public: other scripts can read/write it directly — not safe.

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🪟 Property = a public interface to access a field

(or computed value)

public class Player
{
    private int score;  // ← field (backing field)

    public int Score    // ← property
    {
        get { return score; }
        set { score = value; }
    }
}

Or in shorthand:

public int Score => score;  // read-only property

• Looks like a variable when accessed.

• But actually calls hidden getter/setter methods behind the scenes.

• Can add validation, logging, computed values, etc.

• Much safer and more flexible.

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✅ Key Differences

Feature	Field	Property
Holds data?	✅ Yes	❌ Not necessarily (may be computed)
Can add logic?	❌ No	✅ Yes (in get/set)
Access syntax	player.score	player.Score (looks same)
Backed by memory	✅ Yes	❌ Maybe (not always)
Safe to expose?	❌ No	✅ Yes (controlled)

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🔧 Example: Why it matters

public class Player
{
    public int health; // anyone can do: player.health = -999;
}

vs

public class Player
{
    private int health;
    public int Health
    {
        get { return health; }
        set { health = Mathf.Max(0, value); }  // never below 0!
    }
}

Now you protect your data — thanks to the property.

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🧠 Summary:

Field = raw data

Property = controlled access to that data (or a computed value)

They’re different tools with different purposes. In C#, it’s best to keep fields private and use properties for public access.

So can i just use clean getter and setter in DifficultyManager situation?

No

Name Convention

🧠 In Unity:

Unity uses m_ prefix for serialized private fields:

[SerializeField]
private int m_Health;

public int Health => m_Health;

This is Unity’s convention, not a general C# rule.

⸻

Summary

Element	Style	Example
Public property	PascalCase	PlayerScore
Private field	camelCase	playerScore
Private backing field	_camelCase or m_CamelCase	_playerScore or m_PlayerScore

Omit backing field

🍬 Bonus: Auto-Implemented Property

If you don’t need custom logic, C# lets you skip writing the backing field:

public int Score {get; set;} // 👈 auto-property

C# creates a hidden backing field behind the scenes.