Creating a Generic Method for button initialisation

As the title mentions, my current goal is to create a method that performs the following

Code (CSharp):

1. Button cardboardSignButton = Instantiate(prefabButton, upgradeButtonParentTransform);
2.  
3.         cardboardSignButton.GetComponentInChildren<Text>().text = GameManager.Instance.cardboardSign.upgradeName;
4.         cardboardSignButton.gameObject.SetActive(false);
5.  
6.         EventTrigger.Entry entry = new EventTrigger.Entry();
7.         entry.eventID = EventTriggerType.PointerEnter;
8.         entry.callback.AddListener((data) => {
9.             DisplayTooltipUpgrades(GameManager.Instance.cardboardSign);
10.         });
11.         EventTrigger.Entry exit = new EventTrigger.Entry();
12.         exit.eventID = EventTriggerType.PointerExit;
13.         exit.callback.AddListener((data) => {
14.             HideTooltip();
15.         });
16.         EventTrigger.Entry click = new EventTrigger.Entry();
17.         click.eventID = EventTriggerType.PointerDown;
18.         click.callback.AddListener((data) => {
19.             GameManager.Instance.cardboardSign.BuyCardboardSign();
20.         });
21.         cardboardSignButton.GetComponent<EventTrigger>().triggers.Add(entry);
22.         cardboardSignButton.GetComponent<EventTrigger>().triggers.Add(exit);
23.         cardboardSignButton.GetComponent<EventTrigger>().triggers.Add(click);

However, i do not just want to do it once, for one button, but i want to do it for multiple (20+ at the current moment with more on the way) buttons each with different methods, text values and parentTransforms.

The parameters for the method when it comes to changing text and transform is as easy as adding them like any other method. But what I am wondering is, how and if you can add a method as a parameter for this method, for use in the section where i add a listener to the click event trigger.

My suspicions lead me to believe it has something to do with delegates but they're hard to wrap my head around. So, how can I put a method as a parameter, so that the method i am creating can attach that to my buttons.

Edit: The reason I want this is to save on 18 lines of code that need to have 12 or so changes made each time, by replacing it with a single line calling the method with perhaps 3-4 parameters.

 

Isn't this what we have prefabs for? Parametrize the important stuff, create one button, make it a prefab, and automate the rest by spawning or using Editor. I know it doesn't always work, but your code snippet looks quite generic.

 

AddListener takes a UnityAction<BaseEventType> argument. You can see this simply by mouseovering the method in your IDE.



So the code for creating your button would end up looking something like this:

Code (CSharp):

1. public static Button CreateButton(Button prefab, Transform parent, string text, UnityAction<BaseEventData> onPointerEnter, UnityAction<BaseEventData> onPointerExit, UnityAction<BaseEventData> onPointerDown)
2. {
3.     var button = Instantiate(prefab, parent);
4.     button.GetComponentInChildren<Text>().text = text;
5.     button.gameObject.SetActive(false);
6.  
7.     var entry = new EventTrigger.Entry()
8.     {
9.         eventID = EventTriggerType.PointerEnter
10.     };
11.     entry.callback.AddListener(onPointerEnter);
12.  
13.     var exit = new EventTrigger.Entry()
14.     {
15.         eventID = EventTriggerType.PointerExit
16.     };
17.     exit.callback.AddListener(onPointerExit);
18.  
19.     var click = new EventTrigger.Entry()
20.     {
21.         eventID = EventTriggerType.PointerDown
22.     };
23.     click.callback.AddListener(onPointerDown);
24.  
25.     button.GetComponent<EventTrigger>().triggers.Add(entry);
26.     button.GetComponent<EventTrigger>().triggers.Add(exit);
27.     button.GetComponent<EventTrigger>().triggers.Add(click);
28.  
29.     return button;
30. }

 

Are there any changes that need to be made to the methods that I am calling for them to work in the above method? I have implemented it, and I am receiving the following error:

Assets\Scripts\SceneManager.cs(1213,136): error CS1503: Argument 4: cannot convert from 'void' to 'UnityEngine.Events.UnityAction<UnityEngine.EventSystems.BaseEventData>'

the same occurs for argument 5 and 6 as well, all of the methods im calling look like this more or less:

Code (CSharp):

1. public void BuyUniform() {
2.         if (CharacterManager.Instance.taels.quantity >= 25) {
3.             CharacterManager.Instance.taels.QuantityDecrease (25);
4.             TierUp ();
5.         }
6.     }

Edit: below i have attached the create button method

Code (CSharp):

1. upgradeButtons.Add(CreateNewButton(prefabButton, upgradeButtonParentTransform, GameManager.Instance.tuition.upgradeName, DisplayTooltipUpgrades(GameManager.Instance.tuition), HideTooltip(), GameManager.Instance.tuition.BuyTuition()));

 

You can create the UnityActions just like you did before using lambda expressions

Code (CSharp):

1. CreateButton(prefabButton, upgradeButtonParentTransform, GameManager.Instance.tuition.upgradeName,
2.     (data)=>DisplayTooltipUpgrades(GameManager.Instance.tuition),
3.     (data)=>HideTooltip(),
4.     (data)=>GameManager.Instance.tuition.BuyTuition());

 

It works brilliantly and looks beautiful in comparison to the previous work i had, thank you very much.

 

Awesome, I'm glad I could help!