Unity Properties & Test Framework

Unity Properties & Test Framework

To build clean, reliable games, you need structures to handle data binding and tools to verify script correctness automatically.

Unity Properties

Unity Properties is a data-binding and serialization framework:

• It allows you to define properties on your classes that can be automatically animated, serialized, or bound to UI Toolkit controls.
• Useful for keeping game logic decoupled from UI render updates.

Unity Test Framework

The Unity Test Framework (UTF) allows you to write and run tests inside the Editor:

• Based on NUnit, it supports both EditMode and PlayMode tests.
• EditMode Tests: Test script logic, mathematical functions, and asset parsing. These run instantly without launching player loops.
• PlayMode Tests: Test behaviors, physics, and gameplay actions. These run inside a temporary player window, letting you instantiate GameObjects and yield time.

[Test]
public void PlayerHealth_UnderDamage_DecreasesValue()
{
    var health = new Health(100);
    health.TakeDamage(20);
    Assert.AreEqual(80, health.CurrentHealth);
}

TL;DR

• Unity Properties bind class fields directly to UI and serialization systems.
• Unity Test Framework runs automated test scripts within the Unity Editor.
• EditMode tests evaluate raw script logic without starting the game loop.
• PlayMode tests let you instantiate prefabs and evaluate real-time physics.