Simple, fast, productive, and versatile—that’s what people say about one of the most popular programming languages, Go.
What is Go?
It is a compiled, multithreaded programming language that combines the advantages of Python, C, and C++. Python inherits the simplicity of syntax and streamlined development process, while C++ and C inherit the performance and high execution speed of programs.
Go was created in 2009 at Google. Its full name is Golang, which stands for Google Language. The project is open source, meaning it’s free to install and use.
Since its first release 15 years ago, Go has steadily gained popularity. It is now part of the tech stack at Google and many other major companies, including Dropbox, Netflix, and Microsoft. In Russia, Google Language is used in products and services at Yandex, Sber, Lamoda, Wildberries, Ozon, and VKontakte.
hh.ru lists nearly 1,500 job openings for developers with and without experience. The median salary is approximately 220,000 rubles. High demand and good salary prospects make Golang quite popular in the IT community. According to the 2023 IBS study, Go ranks fourth among the most in-demand programming languages in Russia, behind only Java, Python, and JavaScript.
Features of the language
The creators aimed to offer developers a user-friendly tool that can be used to solve a variety of problems without requiring any extra work from the programmer, such as developing documentation, updating legacy designs, or developing garbage collection and memory management mechanisms.
Strong static typing
When declaring variables, data types must be specified; they cannot be changed afterward. The Type Checker performs the check at compile time, before the code is executed. Static typing makes program execution predictable and reliable, as it allows errors to be detected during debugging, before the program is run.
An explicit approach to error checking
This feature also helps improve code reliability. The programmer indicates where a failure might occur and what to do in that case. Explicit error handling allows for anticipating unexpected code behavior and improving program control.
Fast compilation
Golang uses a built-in compiler that analyzes source code and translates it into a machine-readable format.
The compilation process proceeds step-by-step, through lexical and syntax analyzers, a type checker, and code optimization algorithms to improve performance and reduce size. The compiler analyzes the logic and architecture of your code, improves it, and converts it into a binary file. The entire process takes much less time than programming in Java or C++.
Autoformatting
The compiler includes a built-in utility, Gofmt, whose purpose is to format code in a consistent, unified style. Gofmt can insert spaces and tabs to align lines, check fragments for unnecessary parentheses, and simplify code while maintaining functionality.
Automatic garbage collection
While an application is running, the garbage collector marks all used objects using a three-color algorithm:
- white – objects without markings, potential “candidates” for collection;
- gray – objects in the queue for checking relationships with other objects;
- Black ones are objects in use that cannot be touched.
Through continuous marking and analysis, the garbage collector finds and removes unnecessary objects, freeing up application memory.
Advantages and disadvantages
Golang is easy to write in, programs compile and run quickly, and it can be used for creating software for multiple platforms. However, its basic capabilities are limited, making it difficult to use in some projects.
Simplicity
One of the principles the creators of Google Language relied on was to simplify and speed up the development process. The language has a clear syntax and simple logic, making it a suitable choice for beginning programmers.
This means a low entry barrier and the ability to quickly switch to a project from development in other languages. The code is easy to read and edit; the programming basics are covered in a 20-page manual, and ready-made packages are available for common tasks. For example, networking, data decryption, and other operations don’t require writing code from scratch; simply include a suitable library.
On the other hand, the simplicity and low entry barrier can be seen as a drawback. Beginner programmers can quickly create their first projects, but learning specific concepts can take months. An example is goroutines: lightweight threads that are launched within a function and run in parallel with it.
Goroutines are used to conserve resources during multitasking, and mastering the nuances of this tool can be challenging. As a result, the job market is filled with specialists with Golang programming experience who can develop simple applications but are unfamiliar with the full functionality of the programming language.
Performance
Golang is designed as a tool for creating reliable and fast web servers. The language supports parallelism, concurrency, and other concepts that contribute to high software performance. Processing large amounts of data is faster than programs created in other programming environments.
Versatility
Golang is a cross-platform language that can be used to develop services for Linux, Windows, macOS, and FreeBSD. If a program was written for Linux, the code can be recompiled and quickly adapted for Windows or another operating system.
Functionality
Golang has many useful features:
- garbage collection;
- lexical scope and first-class functions, like in JavaScript;
- batch architecture;
- system calls for interacting with the operating system kernel.
These capabilities are sufficient for creating many web projects and system utilities. However, for more complex services, the functionality may be insufficient.
For example, Go does not support:
- inheritance;
- implicit numeric conversions;
- operator overloading;
- exception handling;
- object-level typing.
Thus, Go’s compact nature can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Learning the basics of the language and developing applications doesn’t take much time. However, implementing complex logic or solving problems beyond its basic capabilities can require significant resources.
Golang syntax
The program’s structure resembles Python’s modular architecture. Source code files are organized into packages, and each file begins with a package command. To import a package into the program, use the import command:
import PackageName
To perform arithmetic operations, the standard operators +, -, *, /, % are used, and increment is used to increase or decrease the value of a variable by one.
Conditionals are similar to C:
if Condition {
Operation
}
To implement alternative logic, the if-else construct is used:
if Condition {
Operation1
}else{
Operation 2
}
Function declaration:
func FunctionName (Parameters) (Return) {
Operation
}
Here “Parameters” is a list of accepted variables, and “Return” is the variables that the function returns, if provided for by the program logic.
The for statement is used in loops:
for Counter; Condition; ChangeCounter{
Operations
}
An example of code that initializes a counter to one, checks whether the condition i < 5 is met, increments the counter by one at each check, and prints the value of i to the console:
for i := 1; i < 5; i++{
fmt.Println(i)
}
Please note: there is no need to put a semicolon after each line.
Golang data types
The var keyword is responsible for declaring a variable:
var VariableName DataType
You can specify any identifier or several identifiers separated by commas in the variable name when declaring a group of variables.
Since one of the features of the language is strong typing, a built-in or custom data type must be specified here.
Examples of built-in types:
- integers:
- you8;
- int16;
- int32 and synonym rune;
- int64;
- uint8 and synonym byte;
- uint16;
- uint32;
- uint64;
- floating-point numbers for fractional values:
- float32;
- float64;
- complex numbers:
- complex64;
- complex128;
- logical bool — true or false;
- strings – specify a sequence of characters in quotation marks.
Implicit typing is also allowed, where a variable is initialized with only a value. For example:
var name = “365education”
The compiler understands that the variable refers to a string. However, if no name is specified after “var name,” the compiler will generate an error.
What is written in Go?
The programming language is used in virtually every industry and development field. As an open-source project, examples of solutions to various problems and detailed documentation are available online. The language is most widely used in the following areas:
- creation of web applications;
- systems programming;
- microservices;
- cloud solutions;
- programs for managing network infrastructure;
- database management;
- administration tools;
- blockchain applications.
How to install and get started
The installation package can be downloaded from the official developer website, go.dev. Select your operating system, download, and run the program following the system prompts.
As of June 2024, versions are available for the following operating systems:
- Windows — 10 and earlier, 64-bit;
- macOS (ARM64) — 11 and earlier, 64-bit;
- macOS (x86-64) — 10.15 and earlier, 64-bit;
- Linux — 2.6.32 and earlier, 64-bit.
After installation is complete, verify that all components are loaded correctly. To do this, open the console and run the go version command. If the installation was successful, the system will display a message indicating the current software version.
You can write code in an IDE such as LiteIDE, a text editor, Visual Studio Code, or a specialized environment for Go developers. The GitHub platform is convenient for storing source code files, collaborating on product development, exchanging ideas, and engaging contributors to further develop projects.