Adding Source Code and Assets

This part of the manual pertains to the following folders and files:

<root>
  ├── package.json
  ├── Runtime
  │   ├── OmiyaGames.Template.asmdef
  │   └── RuntimeExample.cs
  ├── Editor
  │   ├── OmiyaGames.Template.Editor.asmdef
  │   └── EditorExample.cs
  └── Tests
      ├── Runtime
      │   ├── OmiyaGames.Template.Tests.asmdef
      │   └── RuntimeExampleTest.cs
      └── Editor
          ├── OmiyaGames.Template.Editor.Tests.asmdef
          └── EditorExampleTest.cs

Per Unity's documentation, technically, the only required files in this section is package.json and at least one *.asmdef file. Furthermore, all folders can be customized to the developer's liking. Nonetheless, this template follows the standard recommended by Unity.

Note that if the project only contains importable assets, the folder Runtime, Editor, Tests, and all their subfolders and content can be deleted safely (yes, even the *.asmdef files, as far as this writer is aware). Do not forget to update the package.json file accordingly, as detailed below.

For the sake of brevity, this section will not cover what an Assembly Definition (*.asmdef) file is, and what purpose it holds. It is highly recommended to review Unity's documentation on this file. Finally, this section will assume the developer chose not to rename the folders, although they will need to rename some files.

Package Manifest - package.json

This file is required: it should not be deleted, moved, or renamed. That said, it must be edited.

The Package Manifest file is a text file in JSON format storing details about the package that the Package Manager can use to display and categorize the project. Note that this file can be edited inside the Unity Inspector like any other asset files, as opposed to editing it in the text editor; Unity even provides a nice UI for it.

This section will only focus on one field: defining this package's dependencies. For more information about this file, check out Unity's own documentation!

dependencies

"dependencies": {
  "com.unity.ext.nunit": "1.0.0"
},

This field is optional, and if this package does not contain any code or plugins, can be safely removed. If it does, this field should be updated to the code's requirements.

As the name implies, dependencies is a list of packages this project relies on. The list of object parameters should be listed in "<package-unique-identifier>": "<supported-version-of-package>". By default, this template lists the first version of Unity's unit testing package as a dependency. If, for example, a developer wants to utilize the latest input system into their package, they'll need to list the identifier and version of the package like so (don't forget to add a comma between each package definition):

"dependencies": {
  "com.unity.ext.nunit": "1.0.0",
  "com.unity.inputsystem": "1.0.0"
},

As of this writing, only a specific version number can be defined for each package. No version range is supported yet.

To learn more, check out Unity's documentation!

Runtime folder

This folder is intended for scripts that can be utilized when a Unity game runs. This can include C# scripts, especially MonoBehaviors, ScriptableObjects, Attributes, and even just regular classes and structs, as well as plugins and non-editable media files (useful for defining defaults).

If this package does not need any such files, e.g. it's purely a Unity Editor tool, this folder, its contents, and its corresponding Tests/Runtime folder may be dafely deleted.

Assembly Definition - Runtime/OmiyaGames.Template.asmdef

If the entire Runtime folder and content isn't deleted, this file must be renamed and edited.

This is the file that will group the source code in the Runtime folder into a single C# project, separating it from the rest of the folders in the package, as well as the Unity project when this package gets imported. The file name, which needs to be unique, should be changed to match either the package's unique identifier with capitalization, or the namespace the scripts are scoped in (preferably both). After renaming the file, the following fields in it should be updated:

  • name: must be unique from other Assembly Definition files. Recommended to be updated to match the namespace the scripts are scoped in.
  • includePlatforms: a list of platforms this project supports. Keep the list empty if all platforms should be supported.
  • excludePlatforms: a list of platforms this project does not supports. Keep the list empty if all platforms should be supported.
  • references: list of C# projects the source code depends on. Each entry is a string starting with GUID:, followed by the GUID contained in the Assembly Definition's corresponding *.meta file. Notation will appear something like: json "references": [ "GUID:9e24947de15b9631991c9d8411ea37cf", "GUID:de7529f634fa83eb59756ad332cd358f" ],

Editing this file can be done in the Unity Inspector window, when the file is selected in the Project window (which makes editing references easier,) or a typical text editor. Don't forget to check out Unity's documentation for more information on the rest of the fields in the file!

Sample Code - Runtime/RuntimeExample.cs

A simple MonoBehavior script. Since it's obviously just a sample file, it's recommended to delete this code.

Editor folder

This folder is intended for scripts that customizes the Unity editor in some way, but isn't used in the game itself. This basically means any editor C# scripts, such as Editor, PropertyDrawers, and SettingsProvider. If the code has the line, using UnityEditor; or some variant near the top of the file, it's very much an editor script and belongs here.

If this package does not need any such files, e.g. it's purely a Runtime tool, plugin, or a bunch of default assets, this folder and its contents may be safely deleted.

Assembly Definition - Editor/OmiyaGames.Template.Editor.asmdef

If the entire Editor folder and content isn't deleted, this file must be renamed and edited.

This is the file that will group the source code in the Editor folder into a single C# project, separating it from the rest of the folders in the package, as well as the Unity project when this package gets imported. The file name, which needs to be unique, should be changed to match either the package's unique identifier with capitalization, or the namespace the scripts are scoped in (preferably both). If the Runtime folder still exists, don't forget to add .Editor in the file name as well to differentiate the two. After renaming the file, the following fields in it should be updated:

  • name: must be unique from other Assembly Definition files. Recommended to be updated to match the namespace the scripts are scoped in.
  • references: list of C# projects the source code depends on. Each entry is a string starting with GUID:, followed by the GUID contained in the Assembly Definition's corresponding *.meta file. If the Runtime folder exists, don't forget to add it's Assembly Definition file's GUID as well. Notation will appear something like: json "references": [ "GUID:9e24947de15b9631991c9d8411ea37cf", "GUID:de7529f634fa83eb59756ad332cd358f" ],

Editing this file can be done in the Unity Inspector window, when the file is selected in the Project window (which makes editing references easier,) or a typical text editor. Note that the fields, includePlatforms and excludePlatforms should already be set properly. Don't forget to check out Unity's documentation for more information on the rest of the fields in the file!

Sample Code - Editor/EditorExample.cs

A simple Editor script. Since it's obviously just a sample file, it's recommended to delete this code.

Tests, and its subfolders

This folder and its two subfolders, Tests/Editor and Tests/Runtime, is intended for any unit tests validating the functionality of scripts in the Runtime and Editor folder. As their name implies, Tests/Editor runs tests in the Unity editor itself, while Tests/Runtime sets up a new scene to run any runtime tests. Where possible, it's actually recommended to throw as many unit tests in the Tests/Editor as possible, even if they're testing scripts from the Runtime folder, so long as the tested script does not have to be attached to a GameObject or rely on an existence of a scene. Tests in this subfolder runs much faster because a scene doesn't need to be setup for it. Typically, MonoBehaviors and Components are the only scripts that are tested in the Tests/Runtime folder. See Unity's documentation on unit testing for more details.

If there are no plans to add unit tests into this project (e.g. plugins that already have one in a separate project), it is safe to delete this folder and its content. Alternatively, if there are no plans to run tests in the Runtime scope, the subfolder, Tests/Runtime can be safely deleted; same story for Editor and Tests/Editor.

Runtime Test Assembly Definition - Tests/Editor/OmiyaGames.Template.Tests.asmdef

If the entire Tests/Runtime folder and content isn't deleted, this file must be renamed and edited.

This is the file that will group the unit tests in the Tests/Runtime folder into a single C# project, separating it from the rest of the folders in the package, as well as the Unity project when this package gets imported. The file name, which needs to be unique, should be changed to match either the package's unique identifier with capitalization, or the namespace the scripts are scoped in (preferably both). Don't forget to add .Tests in the file name to differentiate it from the rest of the assembly definition files. After renaming the file, the following fields in it should be updated:

  • name: must be unique from other Assembly Definition files. Recommended to be updated to match the namespace the scripts are scoped in.
  • includePlatforms: a list of platforms this project supports. Keep blank if all platforms should be supported.
  • excludePlatforms: a list of platforms this project does not supports. Keep blank if all platforms should be supported.
  • references: list of C# projects the source code depends on. Each entry is a string starting with GUID:, followed by the GUID contained in the Assembly Definition's corresponding *.meta file. Don't forget to add the Runtime's Assembly Definition file's GUID as well. Notation will appear something like: json "references": [ "GUID:9e24947de15b9631991c9d8411ea37cf", "GUID:de7529f634fa83eb59756ad332cd358f" ],

Editing this file can be done in the Unity Inspector window, when the file is selected in the Project window (which makes editing references easier,) or a typical text editor. If the Unity Inspector is used to edit this file, do not remove UnityEngine.TestRunner and UnityEditor.TestRunner from the references field. Don't forget to check out Unity's documentation for more information on the rest of the fields in the file!

Runtime Sample Unit Test - Tests/Editor/RuntimeExampleTest.cs

A simple NUnit test script. Since it's obviously just a sample file, it's recommended to delete this code.

Editor Test Assembly Definition - Tests/Editor/OmiyaGames.Template.Editor.Tests.asmdef

If the entire Tests/Editor folder and content isn't deleted, this file must be renamed and edited.

This is the file that will group the unit tests in the Tests/Editor folder into a single C# project, separating it from the rest of the folders in the package, as well as the Unity project when this package gets imported. The file name, which needs to be unique, should be changed to match either the package's unique identifier with capitalization, or the namespace the scripts are scoped in (preferably both). Don't forget to add .Editor.Tests in the file name to differentiate it from the rest of the assembly definition files. After renaming the file, the following fields in it should be updated:

  • name: must be unique from other Assembly Definition files. Recommended to be updated to match the namespace the scripts are scoped in.
  • references: list of C# projects the source code depends on. Each entry is a string starting with GUID:, followed by the GUID contained in the Assembly Definition's corresponding *.meta file. Don't forget to add the Runtime's and/or Editor's Assembly Definition file's GUID as well. Notation will appear something like: json "references": [ "GUID:9e24947de15b9631991c9d8411ea37cf", "GUID:de7529f634fa83eb59756ad332cd358f" ],

Editing this file can be done in the Unity Inspector window, when the file is selected in the Project window (which makes editing references easier,) or a typical text editor. Note that the fields, includePlatforms and excludePlatforms should already be set properly. Furthermore, if the Unity Inspector is used to edit this file, do not remove UnityEngine.TestRunner and UnityEditor.TestRunner from the references field. Don't forget to check out Unity's documentation for more information on the rest of the fields in the file!

Editor Sample Unit Test - Tests/Editor/EditorExampleTest.cs

A simple NUnit test script. Since it's obviously just a sample file, it's recommended to delete this code.