Object property works in Start, null in Update

Hi all. I have a bewildering problem involving what seems like basic script functionality. I have a new project using the Mobile 2D template in Unity 2020.8.1. I've done very little... simply added a Canvas, and a Text on the Canvas. Attached the following script to the Canvas. I get a NullReferenceException in the line in Update which attempts to print the Text's text property to the debug log. But the same line works in Start. Notice the object is a class variable, and is not null since "A" is being printed. It's like the text property is null in Update but not in Start. Any thoughts?

Code (CSharp):

1. using System.Collections;
2. using System.Collections.Generic;
3. using UnityEngine;
4. using UnityEngine.UI;
5.  
6. public class CanvasMenu : MonoBehaviour
7. {
8.     Text txtTmp_c;
9.  
10.     void Start()
11.     {
12.         GameObject go = GameObject.Find("TmpText");
13.  
14.         if (go != null)
15.         {
16.             txtTmp_c = go.GetComponent(typeof(Text)) as Text;
17.             UnityEngine.Debug.Log(txtTmp_c.text); // works fine, prints "New Text"
18.         }
19.    }
20.  
21.     void Update()
22.     {
23.         if (txtTmp_c = null)
24.             return;
25.  
26.         UnityEngine.Debug.Log("A");
27.         UnityEngine.Debug.Log(txtTmp_c.text); // exception here
28.     }
29. }
30.  

 

You are setting it null in update.

= is an assignment
== is a comparison

So change it to if( txtTmp_c == null)

 

Wow! That slipped past me no matter how many times I read it. Thanks a bunch!