`UnityEngine.Component.camera' cannot be assigned to (it is read only)

Code (CSharp):

1. using UnityEngine;
2. using System.Collections;
3.  
4. public class player : MonoBehaviour {
5.  
6.     public int smoothTime;
7.  
8.     public Color purple;
9.     public Color currentColour;
10.  
11.    
12.     void Awake () {
13.         camera = GetComponent<Camera>();
14.     }
15.    
16.     // Update is called once per frame
17.     void Update () {
18.         currentColour = camera.backgroundColor;
19.     }
20.  
21.     void OnTriggerEnter2D(Collider2D bar) {
22.         if (bar.gameObject.tag == "purple") {
23.             camera.backgroundColor = Color.Lerp(currentColour, purple, Time.deltaTime * smoothTime);
24.         }
25.     }
26. }
27.  

I get this error:

Assets/Scripts/player.cs(14,17): error CS0200: Property or indexer `UnityEngine.Component.camera' cannot be assigned to (it is read only)


I understand it, but don't get how to fix it, any help

 

You can create a public variable and assign it via inspector or using GetComponent<Camera>:

Code (CSharp):

1. public class player : MonoBehaviour
2. {
3.    public int smoothTime;
4.    public Color purple;
5.    public Color currentColour;
6.  
7.    public Camera myCamera;    //<-- var to store camera component reference
8.  
9.     void Awake ()
10.     {
11.         myCamera = GetComponent<Camera>();
12.     }
13.  
14.     void OnTriggerEnter2D(Collider2D bar)
15.     {
16.          if (bar.gameObject.tag == "purple")
17.          {
18.                 myCamera.backgroundColor = Color.Lerp(currentColour, purple, Time.deltaTime * smoothTime);
19.          }
20.     }
21. }
22.  

 

Incidentally, that line is unnecessary. camera is readonly because it's an accessor function... and that accessor function is a shorthand for GetComponent<Camera>().

This is essentially what your compiler sees when it compiles that line:

Code (csharp):

1. GetComponent<Camera>() = GetComponent<Camera>();

Fajiworks's suggestion is better in general, because caching component references you use repeatedly will be faster.

(Note: this applies to 4.x and before. I believe the camera property was removed along with most of the convenience accessors like it in 5.0.)

 

The camera property was made obsolete, but it's still there (so Unity can tell you it's obsolete). Rename "camera" to something else.

--Eric