Optional parameters with default values

Hello,

I like how you can expose variables in the Unity editor. But now I have a problem with default parameters. In the below code, I have a public method "Grow", which I want to be able to call from other scripts. When I call it, I want to be able to call with:
Grow(Time.time);
and have the function use default parameters for starting size, end size and duration. But I want these default parameters to be specified in Unity editor. Is my below workaround how this is usually done??

Code (CSharp):

1. using UnityEngine;
2. using System.Collections;
3.  
4. public class GrowObject : MonoBehaviour
5. {
6.     public float standardDuration = 0.2f;    // These are set in Unity editor
7.     public float startSize = 0f;                    // These are set in Unity editor
8.     public float stopSize = 1f;                    // These are set in Unity editor
9.     private float startTime;
10.     private float stopTime;
11.     private float currentSize;
12.     private bool doGrow = false;
13.  
14.     public void Start()
15.     {
16.         Grow(Time.time);
17.     }
18.  
19.     // I am not allowed to do public void Grow(float start, float duration = standardDuration etc.)
20.     public void Grow(float start, float size1 = -1000001f, float size2 = -1000001f, float duration = -1f)
21.     {
22.         if (duration < 0)
23.             duration = standardDuration;
24.         if (size1 > 1000000)
25.             startSize = size1;
26.         if (size2 > 1000000)
27.             stopSize = size2;
28.         doGrow = true;
29.         startTime = start;
30.         stopTime = startTime + duration;
31.     }
32.    
33.     void Update ()
34.     {
35.         if (doGrow)
36.         {
37.             if (Time.time > stopTime)
38.             {
39.                 doGrow = false;
40.                 return;
41.             }      
42.         currentSize = Mathf.Lerp (startSize, stopSize, Mathf.InverseLerp (startTime, stopTime, Time.time));
43.         gameObject.transform.localScale = new Vector3 (currentSize, currentSize, currentSize);
44.         }
45.     }
46. }

 

Why not make a second method that overloads the original Grow method? That is the way it is usually done.

Code (CSharp):

1. public void Grow(float start)
2. {
3.     // You can insert the default fields here too
4.     Grow(start,  -1000001f,  -1000001f, -1f);
5. }
6.  
7. public void Grow(float start, float size1, float size2, float duration)
8. {
9.     // Implementation
10. }

http://csharp.net-tutorials.com/classes/method-overloading/

 

I see, that makes way more sense than what I attempted. Thank you very much!

 

Prolly best to do with method overloading, but C# is capable of optional args.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/199761/how-can-you-use-optional-parameters-in-c