Question How to make a static read-only array?

I can't add

const

to an array and

readonly

is not preventing the array from being edited.

Code (CSharp):

1.  
2.  public const string OceanMenu = "OceanMenu";
3.  public const string IslandMenu = "IslandMenu";
4. public static readonly string[]  MenuScenes = new string[] {OceanMenu, IslandMenu,};
5.  

Code (CSharp):

1.  
2.         DefaultSceneNames.MenuScenes[1] = "override";
3.  
4.         for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++)
5.         {
6.             int randomIndex = Random.Range(0, DefaultSceneNames.MenuScenes.Length);
7.  
8.             Debug.Log(DefaultSceneNames.MenuScenes[randomIndex]);
9.         }

 

The readonly modifier obviously only affects the variable, not the array object behind the variable. I personally don't bother when coding games cos of the general tongue-in-the-cheekness, but you can use

ReadOnlyCollection<T>

class if you need this.

 

Alternatively you can cast the array to

IReadOnlyList<string>

.

Code (CSharp):

1. public static readonly IReadOnlyList<string> MenuScenes = new string[] {OceanMenu, IslandMenu,};

 

It's the kind of thing you can obfuscate behind an enumerator:

Code (CSharp):

1. public const string OceanMenu = "OceanMenu";
2. public const string IslandMenu = "IslandMenu";
3.  
4. private static string[] menuScenes = new string[] { OceanMenu, IslandMenu };
5.  
6. public static IEnumerable<string> EnumerateMenuScenes()
7. {
8.     int sceneCount = menuScenes.Length;
9.     int (i = 0; i < sceneCount; i++)
10.     {
11.         yield return menuScenes[i];
12.     }
13. }

 

Your IReadOnlyList works, but I forgot that simply making the array private can prevent it from being edited by other classes.

Code (CSharp):

1.  private static string[] MenuScenes = new string[] {OceanMenu, IslandMenu};
2.  
3.     public static string GetRandomMenuScene()
4.     {
5.         return MenuScenes[Random.Range(0, MenuScenes.Length)];
6.     }