What is Go?

What is Go?

As a software developer, you are likely familiar with the increasing popularity of Go, also known as Golang. But what is Go? Go, also known as Golang, is a programming language developed by Google in 2007. It has gained significant popularity in recent years due to its simplicity, efficiency, and built-in concurrency features.

Go offers an optimized garbage collector, concurrency features like goroutines and channels, and scalability that makes it an excellent choice for building high-performance web applications and network systems that can handle a large volume of traffic.
Moreover, its usage in large-scale projects like Docker and Kubernetes has strengthened its position as a go-to language in the industry.

In this article, we will examine the unique features that set it apart from other programming languages to explore why GoLang is popular among software developers worldwide.

History of Go

When Golang was created, the goal was to develop a language that was simple, efficient, and designed for large-scale concurrent systems. The history of Golang can be traced back to the early 2000s when Google was experiencing rapid growth and needed a new language that could handle the scale of its systems.

Many of the existing languages, such as C++ and Java, were seen as too complex and difficult to use for the type of large-scale distributed systems that Google was building. Google was also looking for a language that would be easy to learn and use for new developers.

In 2007, Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson began working on a new programming language that would meet these requirements. The first public release of Golang was in 2009, and it was quickly adopted by developers who were looking for a modern, efficient language that was designed for large-scale concurrent systems.

Why Golang is popular

Since its release, Golang has continued to grow in popularity, with major companies such as Uber, Dropbox, and Docker adopting the language for their development projects. Golang is also becoming increasingly popular in the field of machine learning and artificial intelligence, where its performance and scalability make it a good choice for building complex, high-performance models.

The reason for Golang’s popularity lies in the unique features that make it ideal for building complex programming systems. Some of these features include:

1. Standard library – utilizes distributed packages, which simplifies the process of incorporating additional functionalities into code.
2. Code package management – enables users to manage both user-created and external code packages and provides straightforward commands for publishing packages.
3. Static typing – provides a type system that ensures compatibility and avoids the potential issues that can arise from using dynamically typed languages.
4. Support for testing – includes the ability to run unit tests concurrently with the code, providing a means for debugging and quality assurance.
5. Platform independence – allows its code to be compiled on a wide range of platforms, making it highly platform-independent.
6. Concurrency model – based on lightweight goroutines, which operate like threads, and a channel mechanism that enables effective communication between goroutines, providing a powerful means for writing concurrent programs.

Applications of Go

Go is widely used for developing software applications and services in various domains, including:

1. Network and cloud services: Go’s concurrency features, and ecosystem of tools and APIs make it well-suited for network services, distributed functions, and cloud services.
2. Golang for web development: Golang is a great platform for web development with its built-in HTTP server and numerous Golang backend frameworks like Gin, Echo, and Revel that offer features such as routing, middleware, and template rendering.
3. Command-line utilities: Go’s simple syntax, short runtime, open-source code packages, and a relatively large standard library make it ideal for creating command-line interfaces.
4. Data science: Go’s concurrency, and memory management allow the processing of large data sets in parallel. Its libraries also support machine learning which can be used to develop various kinds of predictive models.

Why you should learn Go

Golang for web development has become a top choice for programmers seeking to advance their careers. According to StackOverflow’s Developer survey, the language has climbed from 10th to 5th place in popularity among developers from 2019 to 2020.

One of the advantages of learning Golang is its simplicity, as it is designed with a straightforward syntax and clean code format that is easy to learn, even for beginners. Its future-proof nature ensures that it will remain relevant as coding practices and technologies evolve.

Golang’s concurrency features are another advantage, making it an agile language capable of executing multiple tasks simultaneously. Its goroutines and channels enable efficient multitasking, making it suitable for handling I/O-bound tasks. Additionally, its practical problem-solving approach makes it highly useful for microservices, push notifications, and streaming.

Learning Golang can lead to increased job opportunities, as several large tech companies have adopted it, including Google, YouTube, and Soundcloud. Go developers are among the highest-paid programmers globally, making Golang a lucrative language to learn.

By acquiring proficiency in Golang and especially Golang backend frameworks, programmers can become more versatile and marketable, capable of handling a wide range of tasks efficiently and effectively.

Go vs. Java, C++, and Python

 

Feature/Aspect	Go	Java	C++	Python
Purpose	General-purpose language	General-purpose language	General-purpose language	General-purpose language
Typing	Static typing	Static typing	Static typing	Dynamically typed
Syntax	Concise syntax with easy readability	More verbose syntax	Complex syntax with a steep learning curve	Concise syntax with easy readability
Concurrency	Built-in support for concurrency through goroutines and channels	Concurrency can be achieved through threads or libraries	Supports concurrency through threads and libraries	Supports concurrency through threads and libraries
Garbage Collection	Has automatic garbage collection	Has automatic garbage collection	No automatic garbage collection	Has automatic garbage collection
Memory Management	Has a simple and efficient memory management model	Has a sophisticated memory management model	Has a complex memory management model	Has a simple and efficient memory management model
Performance	High performance and efficiency	High performance and efficiency	High performance but can be difficult to optimize	Slower than compiled languages
Learning Curve	Easy to learn and use for beginners	Steep learning curve for beginners	Steep learning curve for beginners	Easy to learn and use for beginners
Popularity	Has been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years	One of the most popular languages in the world	One of the most widely used languages in the world	One of the most widely used languages in the world

Limitations of Go

Go is designed to be efficient, concise, and easily readable. However, like any programming language, it has its own set of limitations, outlined below:

1. Lack of Libraries: Although Go has a growing ecosystem of libraries, it still lags behind more established languages, such as Python and Java, in terms of the number and variety of libraries available.
2. Error Handling: Go’s error handling mechanism can be cumbersome, particularly when compared to other modern languages. Developers need to explicitly handle errors, which can lead to verbose and repetitive code.
3. Garbage Collection: Go uses garbage collection to manage memory, which can lead to occasional pauses in the application’s performance. This can be a problem for applications that require low latency or real-time processing.
4. Limited Generics Support: Go’s lack of support for generics can make it difficult to write reusable code. This means that developers may need to write duplicate code for similar operations, which can be time-consuming and error-prone.

Wrapping up

Go is an ideal language for network and cloud services, web apps, and data science. Learning Go is a smart investment in your development skills. Its growing popularity and practical problem-solving approach make it a valuable asset for companies looking to develop efficient and reliable software solutions.

At Genetech solutions, we believe in the continuous development of our team, which is why we provide regular training in the latest technologies.

Recently, our developers have completed rigorous coursework and have demonstrated a strong understanding of Golang’s powerful and efficient programming paradigm. We are excited to put our newly acquired skills into practice and take on Golang projects of all sizes and complexities.

If you’re looking for a reliable and competent team of Golang developers, we invite you to consider hiring our team at Genetech Solutions. Whether you require a new application built from scratch or need assistance with an existing Golang project, our team is ready to take on the challenge. 

Our team’s experience, expertise, and commitment to providing exceptional services make us the perfect partner for your software project needs. Contact us today to discuss your project requirements and request a quote.