Go is a relatively young but popular programming language. According to Stack Overflow, Golang ranked third in the list of programming languages developers want to learn. In this article, we will explore the reasons for Go's popularity, as well as look at where this language is used and why it is worth learning.
A Bit of History
The Go programming language was created by Google. Its full name, Golang, is derived from 'Google language.' Although the language was described as young at its launch, it will be ten years old this year.
The goal set by the creators of Go was to develop a simple and efficient programming language that could be used to create high-quality software. Rob Pike, one of the creators of Go, stated that Go was designed for programmers at the company who had recently graduated and were familiar with Java, C, C++, or Python. Go is a language that can be quickly grasped and easily adopted.
Initially, it was an internal tool within Google, but over time it emerged from the corporation and became public domain.
Advantages of the Language
Golang has a multitude of advantages, both known and not so much.
Simplicity. In fact, this was the primary goal of creating the language, and it has been achieved. Go has a relatively simple syntax (with certain caveats), allowing applications to be developed faster than in some other languages. There are two interesting points here.
Firstly, Golang can be quickly learned by a complete novice in programming—someone who does not know any language and is just starting out as a developer. It can be said that Go is almost as uncomplicated (relatively speaking, of course) as PHP or even Pascal, but just as powerful as C++.
Secondly, Go can be mastered by an already 'established programmer,' someone who knows one or several languages. Developers often learn Go after they have become proficient in Python or PHP. Some programmers successfully use a combination of Python/Go or PHP/Go.
A large number of libraries. If you find that any feature is lacking in Go, you can take advantage of one of the many libraries and accomplish the task at hand. Go also has another advantage — it easily interacts with C libraries. There is even a belief that Go libraries are wrappers around C libraries.
Code Clarity. The Go compiler helps keep the code "clean." For example, unused variables are considered a compilation error. Go resolves many formatting issues. This is done, for instance, through the gofmt program during saving or compilation. Formatting is fixed automatically. You can learn more about all of this in the tutorial. .
Static Typing. Another advantage of Go that reduces the likelihood of developer errors. Yes, in the first few days, a programmer accustomed to dynamic typing might be annoyed by the need to declare the type for every variable and function, as well as everything else. But soon, it becomes clear that there are only benefits.
. A utility that greatly simplifies code documentation. A major plus of GoDoc is that it doesn't require additional languages like JavaDoc, PHPDoc, or JSDoc. The utility uses as much information as it extracts from the code being documented.
Code Maintenance. It is easy to maintain precisely because of its simple and concise syntax. All of this is a legacy of Google. Since the corporation has a vast amount of code for various software products and tens of thousands of developers working on it, the issue of maintenance arises. The code must be understandable to everyone who works on it, well-documented, and concise. All of this is possible with Go.
In addition, there are no classes in Golang (there are structs), no support for inheritance, which significantly simplifies code modification. Plus, there are no exceptions, annotations, etc.
What Can Be Written in Go
Practically everything, except for certain aspects (for instance, developments related to machine learning — here, Python, with low-level optimizations in C/C++ and CUDA, is more suitable).
Everything else can be written, especially relevant to web services. Additionally, Go is suitable for developing applications for both end-users and daemon development, as well as cross-platform applications and services.
Demand for Golang
Over time, the language is becoming more and more in demand. In addition to the companies shown in the image above, Golang is used by Mail.ru Group, Avito, Ozon, Lamoda, BBC, Canonical, and others.
“We decided to scale the business; it is crucial for us to build a fundamentally new technological platform that will ensure rapid product development. We are betting on Go because of its speed and reliability, and most importantly—the audience of programmers who use it,” said representatives of Ozon in 2018 after the company decided to switch to Golang.
But what about incomes? The salary of a Go developer last year averaged 60,000-140,000 rubles according to “My Circle”. Compared to 2017, this figure increased by 8.3%. In 2019, growth is likely to continue, as many companies need Golang developers.
What's next?
There will definitely be no stop in the development of Golang. The demand for good specialists who know this language will only increase, making it easy for both beginners and professionals to find work. This statement is currently relevant, as the IT market is experiencing a constant shortage of developers.
Go is great for both beginner programmers and professionals who already know one or more programming languages. Almost any programmer can learn or switch to it.
The article was prepared in collaboration with instructor at GeekBrains, for which we are very grateful!
Source: habr.com
