I need help with error code i don't understand

[porg16]

Godot Version

godot 4

Question

i need help trying to fix this error code i keep getting Invalid assignment of property or key ‘damage’ with value of type ‘int’ on a base object of type ‘Nil’.
i don’t understand why i get this error code am trying to make hitbox for my combat system.

here is the player code:
extends CharacterBody2D

@export var speed: float = 100
@onready var animation = $PlayerAnimation
@onready var weapon = $WeaponFX
@onready var hitbox : $Hitbox

@export var current_item : Item:
set(value):
current_item = value

	if current_item != null:
		if current_item.animation in ["blade"]:
			set_damage(current_item.damage)
		else:
			set_damage(1)

func _ready():
get_node(“HitBox”)
pass

var lastAnimDirection : String = “down”
var time : float = 0
var can_move : bool = true:
set(value):
can_move = value
if value == false:
speed = 0
else:
speed = 100

func handleInput():
var moveDirection = Input.get_vector(“left”, “right”, “up”, “down”)
velocity = moveDirection*speed

if Input.is_action_just_pressed("attack") and time <= 0:
	Attack()

func Attack():
can_move = false
time = 0.6
if current_item == null:
animation.play(“fist” + lastAnimDirection)
else:
$Weapon.visible = true
$Weapon.texture = current_item.texture
weapon.play(current_item.animation + lastAnimDirection)
animation.play(current_item.weapon_animation + lastAnimDirection)

func updateAnimation():
if can_move:
if velocity.length() == 0:
animation.play(“idle” + lastAnimDirection)
else:
var direction = “down”
if velocity.x < 0: direction = “left”
elif velocity.x > 0: direction = “right”
elif velocity.y < 0: direction = “up”

		animation.play("walk" + direction)
		lastAnimDirection = direction

func _physics_process(delta):
if time > 0:
time -= delta
handleInput()
move_and_slide()
updateAnimation()

func set_damage(amount):
hitbox.damage = amount

func _on_player_animation_animation_finished(anim_name: StringName) → void:
can_move = true

here is my hitbox code:
extends Area2D

@export var damage : float = 1

func _on_body_entered(body: Node2D) → void:
if body.has_method(“take_damage”):
body.take_damage(damage)

any help would be appreciated.

[struhy_xd]

The error says that you are trying to assign damage property on an object that doesn’t exist. The only place you are assigning damage here is in this function:

func set_damage(amount):
    hitbox.damage = amount

Which means hitbox is null.

Because the hitbox as an @onready variable, this means you are trying to assign the damage before the node is ready. Looking at where you call the set_damage method, it’s clear that the setter for current_item is causing this.

Here’s the timeline of what happens:

• Script gets created
• Godot assigns the current_item from the editor
• Setter calls the set_damage function
• Error

The character’s _ready function didn’t run yet, so the @onready var hitbox is null by default!

You can get around this pretty easily. Put a null check into the set_damage function, so that the error doesn’t happen. And call it in your _ready method, so that the damage is ready and set for when the game runs.

Or you can trigger it with the setter again, that would be pretty cool

func _ready() -> void:
    if current_item: set_damage(current_item.damage)

[porg16]

thanks for your reply am just stuck on what you mean by put a null check in the set_damage function sorry about this am still a newbie to godot code system

[syntaxerror247]

func set_damage(amount):
    if hitbox:
        hitbox.damage = amount

[struhy_xd]

Ah, its okay. Just check if hitbox is null before you try to set anything on it

if hitbox != null:
    hitbox.damage = amount

That’s what I’d call a null check

[pauldrewett]

I would use:

if is_instance_valid(hitbox):
      # more code here....

Best wishes,

Paul

In the docs:

@GlobalScope