15 Essential C# Attributes in Unity

When programming Unity games with C#, we sometimes notice that the variables we define can make the Inspector screen cluttered and disorganized. C# Attributes—one of the language's powerful features—help make our variables more readable and keep our Inspector clean.

Let's explore 15 essential C# Attributes that every Unity developer should know.

public class Player : MonoBehaviour 
{
    [SerializeField]
    private float health = 100f;
    
    [SerializeField]
    private int maxAmmo = 30;
}

public class PlayerController : MonoBehaviour 
{
    [Range(1f, 10f)]
    public float moveSpeed = 5f;
    
    [Range(0f, 1f)]
    public float damageMultiplier = 0.5f;
}

public class UIManager : MonoBehaviour 
{
    [Header("Text Components")]
    public Text scoreText;
    public Text healthText;
    
    [Header("Image Components")]
    public Image playerAvatar;
    public Image enemyIcon;
}

public class GameSettings : MonoBehaviour 
{
    [Tooltip("Maximum number of enemies that can spawn simultaneously")]
    public int maxEnemies = 10;
    
    [Tooltip("Time in seconds between enemy spawn waves")]
    public float spawnInterval = 5f;
}

[RequireComponent(typeof(Rigidbody))]
[RequireComponent(typeof(Collider))]
public class PlayerMovement : MonoBehaviour 
{
    private Rigidbody rb;
    
    void Start() 
    {
        rb = GetComponent();
    }
}

[ExecuteInEditMode]
public class ProceduralMeshGenerator : MonoBehaviour 
{
    void Update() 
    {
        // This runs even in Edit Mode
        GenerateMesh();
    }
}

public class DataManager : MonoBehaviour 
{
    [HideInInspector]
    public int internalCounter = 0;
    
    public string visibleData = "Hello";
}

public class LegacySystem : MonoBehaviour 
{
    [Obsolete("Use NewAttackMethod() instead")]
    public void OldAttackMethod() 
    {
        // Old implementation
    }
    
    public void NewAttackMethod() 
    {
        // New implementation
    }
}

[ExecuteAlways]
public class DebugGizmo : MonoBehaviour 
{
    void Update() 
    {
        // Runs in both Edit Mode and Play Mode
        DrawDebugInfo();
    }
}

public class HealthSystem : MonoBehaviour 
{
    public float health = 100f;
    
    [ContextMenu("Reset Health")]
    private void ResetHealth() 
    {
        health = 100f;
        Debug.Log("Health reset to 100");
    }
    
    [ContextMenu("Take Damage")]
    private void DebugDamage() 
    {
        health -= 25f;
    }
}

[AddComponentMenu("Custom/Player/Movement System")]
public class PlayerMovement : MonoBehaviour 
{
    // Component will appear under:
    // Component → Custom → Player → Movement System
}

public class WeaponStats : MonoBehaviour 
{
    public int damage = 10;
    public float fireRate = 0.5f;
    
    [Space(20)]
    public int ammo = 30;
    public int maxAmmo = 120;
}

public class DialogueSystem : MonoBehaviour 
{
    [TextArea(3, 10)]
    public string dialogueText = "Enter your dialogue here...";
    
    public string normalText = "Short text";
}

public class QuestSystem : MonoBehaviour 
{
    [Multiline(5)]
    public string questDescription;
    
    [Multiline(3)]
    public string questObjective;
}

[DisallowMultipleComponent]
public class PlayerController : MonoBehaviour 
{
    // Only one PlayerController can exist per GameObject
    // Unity will prevent adding a second instance
}

Combining Attributes

The real power of attributes comes from combining them. Here's a practical example:

[RequireComponent(typeof(Rigidbody))]
[DisallowMultipleComponent]
public class AdvancedMovement : MonoBehaviour 
{
    [Header("Movement Settings")]
    [Tooltip("Maximum speed the player can achieve")]
    [Range(1f, 20f)]
    public float maxSpeed = 10f;
    
    [Space(10)]
    
    [Header("Jump Settings")]
    [Tooltip("Upward force applied when jumping")]
    [Range(1f, 30f)]
    public float jumpForce = 15f;
    
    [SerializeField]
    [Tooltip("Can the player jump multiple times in the air?")]
    private bool allowDoubleJump = false;
    
    [HideInInspector]
    public bool isGrounded = true;
    
    [ContextMenu("Reset to Default")]
    private void ResetToDefault() 
    {
        maxSpeed = 10f;
        jumpForce = 15f;
        allowDoubleJump = false;
    }
}

Best Practices

Additional Resources

To learn more about Unity Attributes, check out these resources:

• Unity Official Documentation - Attributes
• Unity Attributes Video Tutorial

Conclusion

C# Attributes are essential tools for professional Unity development. They help you:

• Keep your Inspector organized and readable
• Enforce code constraints automatically
• Improve team collaboration with better documentation
• Speed up prototyping and debugging
• Maintain cleaner, more maintainable code

Master these 15 attributes, and you'll write cleaner, more professional Unity code. Start incorporating them into your projects today!