Often we come across many high-level programming languages that can perform different tasks. Go is a compiled statically typed programming language that uses syntax similar to C. Previously, it was called GoLang because of the former domain name (golang.org), which is now (go.dev). This tutorial series will give complete information about Go programming, and this tutorial will talk about the introduction and fundamentals of Go programming.
What Is Go Programming?
Go Programming is a procedural, statically typed, general-purpose, compiled programming language developed under Google in 2007 by Robert Griesemer, Ken Thompson, and Rob Pike. It was launched in 2009 as an open-source programming language. It has all modern programming features such as garbage collection, structured typing, memory safety, CSP-style coding for handling concurrency, and other advanced built-in programming features such as variable-length arrays and key-value mapping. Go also has a rich collection of standard libraries.
Go is also known for its fast compilation and execution with cross-platform application development capabilities. It is renowned for developing cloud-native apps, cross-platform enterprise app development, web assembly, network-based programs, server-side programming, and backend application development. nowdays, many tech giants like Uber, Google, Dailymotion, Netflix, Kubernetes, Dropbox, Twitch, Docker, SoundCloud, SendGrid, Ethereum, etc., use Golang. Go ranked among the top 10 programming languages in a short time.
Features of Go Programming
Go is rich in features and characteristics. Here is a list of some features and characteristics of Go programming.
Open-Source Programming
The preliminary characteristic of Go is that it is an open-source programming language, which means all its source code is available for reading and editing. Also, anyone can download and use the code to implement it better or fix bugs and errors.
Concurrency Support
Cloud-native app development becomes easy with the Go language. It is because go can handle concurrent features and take benefit of the cloud's multi-core processing. Unlike other languages, Go comes with easily traceable concurrency possibility, making concurrent application development quick.
Statically Typed
Statically-typed programming functions with a mechanism that allows programmers manually define variables with specific data types & produce compile code accurately while taking care of compatibility levels and type conversions. It often eliminates the challenges that dynamically-typed programming languages like Python face.
Faster Build Time
Since applications developed through the Go language demand less processing and time to build, it helps iterative development faster and at a lower processing cost. The application can instantly create project builds without heavy memory and CPU utilization.
Large Libraries and Robust Toolset
Go comes with many standard libraries, dependencies, and modules that do not intend programmers to turn toward third-party tools or packages; or waste time creating their own (unless required). Each of its built-in libraries comes with abundant elements and functionalities that make Go the best choice for developing applications.
Cross-Platform Development Capabilities
Developers can create different mobile solutions, cloud-native application development, web development, etc., making Go programming a versatile language. Go developers can shift to various development skills and integrate multiple coding styles using Go. Also, developers can develop applications for different platforms, such as Linux, Windows, Android, etc., without clutter.
Why Use Go?
There are various reasons why programmers prefer Go over other modern programming languages.
- It is simple, fun, and easy to learn.
- Concurrency and memory management is seamless and effective in Go.
- It comes with a faster runtime and compile-time capability.
- It is platform-independent.
- It has extensive programming tools available for development.
