Go in 100 Seconds

Introduction

This tutorial provides a foundational understanding of the Go programming language, developed by Google. It aims to introduce key concepts, features, and functionalities of Go, making it ideal for those interested in high-performance server-side applications. By the end of this guide, you will have a better grasp of Go's unique characteristics and how to get started with coding in it.

Step 1: Understand the History of Go

• Go was created by Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson at Google.
• It was designed as a modern alternative to C, focusing on simplicity, efficiency, and high performance.
• Ken Thompson, one of the creators, is also known for his contributions to Unix and the development of the B language.

Step 2: Learn About Statically-Typed Compiled Languages

• Go is a statically-typed language, meaning that variable types are explicitly declared and checked at compile time.
• This leads to fewer runtime errors and better performance, making it suitable for large-scale applications.
• Understanding the difference between statically-typed and dynamically-typed languages is crucial for effective programming in Go.

Step 3: Explore Go Modules

• Go modules are a way to manage dependencies in Go projects.
• They allow you to define the libraries your project needs and ensure that the correct versions are used.
• To create a new module, use the following command in your terminal:

  go mod init [module_name]
  

• This command initializes a new module and creates a go.mod file to track dependencies.

Step 4: Set Up Your Development Environment

• Choose a code editor that supports Go. Recommended settings include:
  • Editor: Atom with One Dark theme or Visual Studio Code with vscode-icons
  • Font: Fira Code for better readability
• Ensure you have Go installed on your machine. You can download it from the official Go website.

Step 5: Write Your First Go Program

• Open your code editor and create a new file named hello.go.
• Add the following code to print "Hello, World!" to the console:

  package main
  
  import "fmt"
  
  func main() {
      fmt.Println("Hello, World!")
  }
  

• To run your program, navigate to the directory containing hello.go in your terminal and input:

  go run hello.go
  

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you’ve learned about the Go programming language, its history, and its unique features like static typing and modules. You also set up your development environment and wrote your first Go program. To further your learning, explore the Go documentation and practice by creating more complex applications. Happy coding!