Why isn’t my Unity tab-switching function working despite no errors?

The issue is that you’re using group.ToString() to compare against your array of names. In C#, calling ToString() on a Unity object (like a CanvasGroup) doesn’t return the variable name ("hydrogenScreen" or "heliumScreen") but a default representation of the object type (for example, "UnityEngine.CanvasGroup"). This means the comparison always fails or behaves unexpectedly.

How to Fix

1. Use the GameObject Name:
   If you have assigned your CanvasGroup components to GameObjects with names matching "hydrogenScreen" or "heliumScreen", you can compare using:

   CSHARPCopied
   check = group.gameObject.name;

2. Remove the Iteration:
   If you already know which CanvasGroup you want to activate or deactivate (because you passed it into the function), there’s no need to iterate over an array. You can simply activate that one and deactivate the others. For example:

   CSHARPCopied
   public CanvasGroup hydrogenScreen;
   public CanvasGroup heliumScreen;
   
   public void SwitchTabs(int id)
   {
       switch (id)
       {
           case 0:
               ActivateTab(hydrogenScreen);
               DeactivateTab(heliumScreen);
               break;
           case 1:
               ActivateTab(heliumScreen);
               DeactivateTab(hydrogenScreen);
               break;
       }
   }
   
   private void ActivateTab(CanvasGroup group)
   {
       group.alpha = 1;
       group.interactable = true;
       group.blocksRaycasts = true;
   }
   
   private void DeactivateTab(CanvasGroup group)
   {
       group.alpha = 0;
       group.interactable = false;
       group.blocksRaycasts = false;
   }

   This approach directly handles the activation/deactivation logic without needing to compare strings.

3. General Note:
   If you still want to use an array and comparison, ensure you correctly compare the CanvasGroup’s GameObject name instead:

   CSHARPCopied
   private void EfficientTabChange(CanvasGroup group)
   {
       string[] groupNames = new string[] { "hydrogenScreen", "heliumScreen" };
       // Using the GameObject name instead of ToString()
       string currentName = group.gameObject.name;
   
       foreach (string name in groupNames)
       {
           if (currentName.Equals(name))
           {
               ActivateTab(group);
           }
           else
           {
               DeactivateTab(group);
           }
       }
   }

   However, note that if your array has both names, and the CanvasGroup matches one name, the loop will first activate it and then in the next iteration deactivate it (when it compares to the other name). This would cancel your activation. Therefore, if you want to use this approach, you need to restructure your logic to prevent unwanted deactivation.

Recommendation

I recommend the second approach where you directly enable one tab and disable the other, as this is more straightforward and less error-prone when managing tab switching.

By following these suggestions, your in-game tab switching in Unity should work as expected.