gameObject.GetComponent vs GetComponent

In a script I got a reference to an object's sprite renderer with the code

renderer = gameObject.GetComponent<SpriteRenderer>();

This gave me a C# warning CS0108, hides inherited member. I get rid of this warning, however, when I change the code to:

renderer = GetComponent<SpriteRenderer>();

In the same script, I use gameObject.GetComponent in order to get a reference to the Animator that is a child of this game object.

How can I tell the difference when I should be using gameObject vs not using gameObject?

 

Ok so:

Every script you write in Unity inherits from MonoBehaviour.https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/MonoBehaviour.html

MonoBehaviour extends from Component https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/Component.html

Component has a method called GetComponent: https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/Component.GetComponent.html

However the GetComponent on Component really just proxies to GetComponent on GameObject as we can see in the Unity source code: https://github.com/Unity-Technologi...me/Export/Scripting/Component.bindings.cs#L35

In other words:

myComponent.GetComponent

is basically just a shortcut way of saying

myComponent.gameObject.GetComponent

. There is no real difference between them, and you should prefer the shorter version for brevity.

As for your

C# warning CS0108

, it has nothing to do with how you're calling GetComponent, and it has everything to do with the fact that you have a field/property called "renderer" which hides a property on Component called "renderer": https://github.com/Unity-Technologi.../Export/Scripting/Component.deprecated.cs#L55

 

AH, ok, I understand the difference now, and I understand where the warning came from.

Thank you for the detailed response, I appreciate it.

 

Thank you very much! This really clarifies the confusion I've been having why GetComponent appears both in Component and GameObject