# Use a script

<span class="badge text-bg-primary">Beginner</span>
<span class="badge text-bg-success">Programmer</span>

To use a script, add it to an entity as a component. You can do this in Game Studio or in code. Stride runs scripts when the entity they are attached to loads.

You can add a single script to as many entities as you need. You can also add multiple scripts to single entities; in this case, Stride creates multiple instances of the script. This means the same script can have different values in its [public properties and fields](public-properties-and-fields.md).

## Add a script in Game Studio

There are three ways to add scripts to entities in Game Studio: 

* drag the script from the asset view to the **entity tree**
* drag the script from the asset view to the **entity properties**
* add the script in the **property grid**

### Drag to the entity tree

This method automatically creates a new entity that contains the script.

1. In the **solution explorer** (in the bottom left by default), select the assembly that contains your script. Game Studio shows your script in the **asset view**.

    ![Script in asset folder](../get-started/media/create-a-script-new-script-asset-view.png)

2. Drag the script from the asset view to the **entity tree**.

Game Studio adds an entity to your scene, with the script as a component on the entity.

![Entity tree](../troubleshooting/media/game-profiler-in-entity-tree.png)

### Drag to the property grid

1. In the **entity tree** (on the left by default), or in the scene, select the entity you want to add the script to.

2. In the **solution explorer** (in the bottom left by default), select the assembly that contains your script. Game Studio shows your script in the **asset view**.

    ![Script in asset folder](../get-started/media/create-a-script-new-script-asset-view.png)

3. Drag the script from the **asset view** to the **property grid**.
   
   Game Studio adds the script to the entity.

### Add the script in the property grid

1. In the **scene editor**, select the entity you want to add the script to.

    ![Select an entity](media/select-entity.png)

2. In the **property grid** (on the right by default), click **Add component** and select the script you want to add.

    ![Add script component](media/add-script-component.png)

    Game Studio adds the script to the entity.

>[!Note]
>You can customize where scripts appear in the dropdown using the `ComponentCategoryAttribute`:

```cs
[ComponentCategory("My Startup Scripts")]
public class SampleStartupScript : StartupScript
{
    public override void Start()
    {
        // Do some stuff during initialization
    }
}
```

## Add a script from code

The code below adds a script to an entity.

```cs
// myEntity is an existing entity in the scene; myAsyncScript is the script you want to add to the entity
myEntity.Add(new myAsyncScript());
``` 

## See also

* [Types of script](types-of-script.md)
* [Create a script](create-a-script.md)
* [Public properties and fields](public-properties-and-fields.md)
* [Scheduling and priorities](scheduling-and-priorities.md)
* [Events](events.md)
* [Debugging](debugging.md)
* [Preprocessor variables](preprocessor-variables.md)