Go (or Golang) is an Open Source programming language developed by Google. Go has many use cases like building Microservices, Cloud Computing, Web Applications, and creating CLI Tools.

Go is a statically typed language, and its structures and syntax resemble the C Programming Language. Due to Go’s fast startup time, low runtime overhead, and platform independence, it has become a very popular language for writing microservices and other systems. Go is also known for its concurrency, meaning it can execute multiple processes simultaneously.

Golang uses Goroutines (lightweight processes) and a collection of packages and commands for dependency management. It was designed to solve issues like slow build times, difficulty writing tools, and cross-language development.

In this blog, I’ll discuss Golang and provide resources to get started.

History of Go #

Golang was created by Google to solve their internal software engineering issues as an alternative to C++. Development began in 2007, with the goal of designing a language that was easier to use while incorporating the best features of C++, JavaScript, and Python. It was released as an Open Source project by Google in 2009, allowing community contributions.

Since then, new features have been added regularly, with a major update in 2022 introducing Generics (a major feature from Java).

Due to its fast growth and practical design, major companies such as Netflix, Microsoft, Cloudflare, Docker, Twitch, and Dropbox adopted Go in their codebases.

Philosophy of Go #

The philosophy of Go and the problems it addresses are quite interesting:

• Simplicity: Go focuses on simplicity. While many languages add features that lead to bloat, Go only includes features considered useful in the long term.
• Efficiency: Go is designed for speed and efficiency — evident in its strong concurrency support.
• Error Handling: Go encourages explicit and reliable error handling, with built-in mechanisms in most functions.
• Pragmatism: Go emphasizes practical and logical solutions to real-world problems.

Features of Go #

• Standard Library: Rich collection of standard libraries ranging from math to networking.
• Package Management: Easy management of user-created packages and publishing them via CLI commands.
• Static Typing: Types are assigned at compile time, preventing type-related runtime errors.
• Unit Test Support: Built-in unit testing to ensure code quality and parallel debugging.
• Platform Independence: Compiles and runs on any hardware or operating system.
• Concurrency: Through Goroutines, Go allows multiple tasks to run in parallel — one of its defining features.

Some Useful Go Commands #

go run #

Compiles and executes code simultaneously.

go run filename.go

go build #

Compiles the code and creates an executable file.

go build filename.go

go get #

Imports third-party libraries from repositories like GitHub.

go get github.com/libname

go fmt #

Automatically formats code for readability using proper indentation and line spacing.

go fmt filename.go

Unformatted File #

package main
import "fmt"

func main(){
fmt.Println("Sample Addition")
a:=5
b:=4
c:=a+b
fmt.Println(c)
}

Formatted File with go fmt #

package main
import "fmt"

func main() {
    fmt.Println("Sample Addition")
    a := 5
    b := 4
    c := a + b
    fmt.Println(c)
}

You can see how the command improves readability and structure.

What is Go Used For? #

Go is widely used in various domains:

• Container Services: Tools like Docker and Kubernetes use Go for efficient containerization and concurrency.
• Network and Cloud Services: Ideal for writing high-performance web servers and APIs (e.g., Bitcoin Lightning Network, blockchain systems).
• Web Services: Go’s built-in HTTP server helps companies like Netflix build scalable backend services.
• Command-line Tools: Rich libraries for building powerful CLI tools.
• Microservices: Used to develop microservices such as FTP/SMTP servers — used by companies like Uber.
• Data Science: Go’s concurrency and memory management make it suitable for handling large datasets efficiently.

How to Learn Go #

Go is relatively easy to learn. Some may find Goroutines, Channels, and Concurrency challenging — but these are also Go’s most powerful features.

The best features always take effort to master!

The best way to learn is through books and official documentation, not endless tutorials. Many beginners get stuck in “tutorial hell” — watching too many videos, getting confused, and eventually quitting.

Go’s official documentation is among the best of any language, offering concept-based lessons and an interactive playground.

The documentation is divided into two main parts:

• A Tour of Go — covers syntax and fundamentals, from variables to concurrency.
• Effective Go — teaches how to write clear, idiomatic Go code.

Official Docs #

• A Tour of Go: https://go.dev/tour/welcome/1
• Effective Go: https://go.dev/doc/effective_go

Recommended Book #

The best beginner-friendly book to learn Go:

• Learning Go: https://www.miek.nl/go/

Thank You #

Thank you for reading this blog!