Golang (Go) Basics Cheat Sheet

1. Introduction to Golang

• Go (Golang) is an open-source programming language developed by Google.
• Known for simplicity, efficiency, and concurrency support.
• Designed for scalable and high-performance applications.

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2. Setup and Running Go

1. Download and Install Go:
   • Download Go.
2. Verify Installation:

   go version
   

3. Run Go Program:

   go run main.go
   

4. Build Executable:

   go build main.go
   

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3. Basic Go Program Structure

package main

import "fmt"

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

• package main – Defines the entry point.
• import “fmt” – Imports the fmt package for I/O.
• func main() – Main function, program execution starts here.

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4. Variables and Data Types

Variable Declaration

var name string = "GoLang"
var age int = 25
isTrue := true  // Short-hand declaration

Data Types

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5. Constants

const Pi = 3.14
const Greeting = "Welcome to Go"

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6. Control Structures

If-Else

if age > 18 {
    fmt.Println("Adult")
} else {
    fmt.Println("Minor")
}

Switch Statement

switch day := 3; day {
case 1:
    fmt.Println("Monday")
case 2, 3:
    fmt.Println("Midweek")
default:
    fmt.Println("Other day")
}

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7. Loops

For Loop (No While in Go)

for i := 1; i <= 5; i++ {
    fmt.Println(i)
}

Infinite Loop

for {
    fmt.Println("Running...")
    break
}

Range Loop (Iterate Over Arrays/Maps)

nums := []int{1, 2, 3}
for index, value := range nums {
    fmt.Println(index, value)
}

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8. Arrays and Slices

Arrays

var arr [3]int = [3]int{10, 20, 30}
fmt.Println(arr[0])  // Access element

Slices (Dynamic Arrays)

nums := []int{1, 2, 3}
nums = append(nums, 4)
fmt.Println(nums)

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9. Maps (Dictionaries)

person := map[string]string{
    "name": "John",
    "city": "New York",
}
fmt.Println(person["name"])  // Access value

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10. Functions

func add(a int, b int) int {
    return a + b
}

func main() {
    result := add(5, 3)
    fmt.Println(result)
}

• Multiple Return Values

func divide(x, y int) (int, int) {
    return x / y, x % y
}

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11. Pointers

x := 10
p := &x  // Pointer to x
fmt.Println(*p)  // Dereference to get value

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12. Structs (Custom Types)

type Car struct {
    Brand string
    Speed int
}

func main() {
    myCar := Car{"Toyota", 120}
    fmt.Println(myCar.Brand)
}

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13. Methods (Struct Functions)

func (c Car) Drive() {
    fmt.Println(c.Brand, "is driving at", c.Speed, "km/h")
}

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14. Interfaces (Abstraction)

type Vehicle interface {
    Drive()
}

type Bike struct{}
func (b Bike) Drive() {
    fmt.Println("Bike is driving")
}

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15. Error Handling

func divide(x, y int) (int, error) {
    if y == 0 {
        return 0, fmt.Errorf("division by zero")
    }
    return x / y, nil
}

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16. Goroutines (Concurrency)

func sayHello() {
    fmt.Println("Hello")
}

func main() {
    go sayHello()  // Run concurrently
    fmt.Println("Main function")
}

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17. Channels (Goroutine Communication)

ch := make(chan int)

go func() {
    ch <- 10  // Send data
}()

x := <-ch  // Receive data
fmt.Println(x)

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18. File I/O

import (
    "os"
)

func main() {
    file, _ := os.Create("example.txt")
    file.WriteString("Hello, Go!")
    file.Close()
}

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19. Packages

import "math"

func main() {
    result := math.Sqrt(16)
    fmt.Println(result)
}

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20. Useful Go Commands

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Tips for Learning Go

• Focus on Simplicity – Go emphasizes readability and simplicity.
• Use Goroutines – Concurrency is Go’s strength.
• Practice Error Handling – Explicit error checking is encouraged.
• Leverage Interfaces – They provide flexibility without deep inheritance.
• Explore Standard Library – Go’s standard library is powerful and covers most tasks.