[solved] access specific object from a group of similar named ones

Hello there,

although this seems like a basic question I can not find any info on how to do this.
I suppose because I even do not know WHAT words to google for

What I have is several text objects hs_1_num ... hs_10_num, so now I want to change the color of one of these but have the number determined by another script.

I have tried several variants to this:

Code (CSharp):

1.  
2. hs_[new_number]_num.color = new Color(0.58f, 0f, 0f, 1f);
3.  

Hope you guys and gals do not laugh to hard at this and can offer some insight.

 

Not sure you have the concept of arrays down.
http://csharp.net-informations.com/collection/csharp-array.htm

 

I have used two dimensional arrays at max, only getting and setting values, so maybe I am missing something, but what?

Let me rephrase the problem, I have 5 textfields:
hs_1_num
hs_2_num
hs_3_num
hs_4_num
hs_5_num

Now I want to randomly change the textcolor of one of those, and thought there must be a somewhat elegant way similar to this:

Code (CSharp):

1. new_number = Random.Range(1, 6);
2. hs_[new_number]_num.color = new Color(0.58f, 0f, 0f, 1f);

Instead of the brute force variant:

Code (CSharp):

1. new_number = Random.Range(1, 6);
2. if (new_number == 1) {
3.     hs_1_num.color = new Color(0.58f, 0f, 0f, 1f);
4. } else if (new_number == 2) {
5.     hs_2_num.color = new Color(0.58f, 0f, 0f, 1f);
6. } else if (new_number == 3) {
7.     hs_3_num.color = new Color(0.58f, 0f, 0f, 1f);
8. } else if (new_number == 4) {
9.     hs_4_num.color = new Color(0.58f, 0f, 0f, 1f);
10. } else if (new_number == 5) {
11.     hs_5_num.color = new Color(0.58f, 0f, 0f, 1f);
12. }
13.  

Would you still say Arrays are the answer?

 

Code (csharp):

1.  
2.  
3. Text[] texts = { hs_1, hs_2,...};
4. texts[Random.Range(0,4)].color = new Color(...);
5.  
6.  

 

Well you can actually access your field using reflection, something like this:

Code (CSharp):

1. ((Text)GetType().GetField(String.Format("hs_{0}_num", Random.Range(0,4))).GetValue(this)).color = new Color(0.58f, 0f, 0f, 1f);

But it will be slow as hell. And ugly. And stupid. Use fire7side's answer.

 

A great many thanks to fire7side for clearing that up
Would never have thought about using an array that way.