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🚀 Go Getting Started – Setup, Syntax, Output & Basics

🧲 Introduction – Why Start with Go?

Go (or Golang), developed by Google, is a modern, statically typed language known for its simplicity, speed, and built-in concurrency. Whether you’re writing web servers, APIs, or CLI tools, Go provides a clean and productive foundation for scalable software.

🎯 In this guide, you’ll learn:

• How to install and set up Go
• The structure of a Go program
• Go’s syntax, output methods, comments, and import system
• How Go handles variables and default (zero) values

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📘 Topics Covered

🔹 Topic	📖 Description
🏠 Go – Home	Welcome to Go programming and its ecosystem
🔍 Go – Introduction	Why Go was created, its features and use cases
🛠️ Go – Environment Setup	Step-by-step installation and workspace configuration
🚀 Go – Get Started	Program structure and execution basics
🧾 Go – Basic Syntax	Syntax rules, semicolons, identifiers
📤 Go – Output	Using fmt to print data to the console
💬 Go – Comments	Writing single-line and multi-line comments
📦 Go – Fmt Package	Standard package for formatted I/O operations
🧊 Go – Zero Value	Default values for uninitialized variables
📥 Go – Import Statement	How to include packages in your Go programs

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🏠 Go – Home

Go is a compiled, open-source language designed for productivity and performance. It compiles quickly, has garbage collection, and supports first-class concurrency using goroutines.

🔧 Go is best for:

• Web backends and APIs
• Networking tools
• Cloud-native microservices

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🔍 Go – Introduction / Overview

✨ Key Features:

• Simple syntax like C, but safer
• Fast compilation and execution
• Concurrency via goroutines
• Powerful standard library

🔧 Created by: Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson
🛠 First released: 2009

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🛠️ Go – Environment Setup

✅ Install Go:

On Windows/macOS/Linux:

1. Download installer: https://go.dev/dl/
2. Install and set PATH
3. Verify in terminal:

go version

✅ Example Output:

go version go1.22.0 linux/amd64

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🚀 Go – Get Started / Program Structure

📄 Hello World

package main
import "fmt"

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

🧠 Breakdown:

• package main: Entry point
• import "fmt": Import standard formatting library
• func main(): Main function executed at runtime

✅ Run it:

go run main.go

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🧾 Go – Basic Syntax

• Statements end without ; (optional unless multiple statements on one line)
• Uses braces {} for blocks
• Variable declaration: var x int = 10 or short form: x := 10

Example:

x := 42
fmt.Println(x)

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📤 Go – Output

Use the fmt package for printing:

fmt.Print("Hello ")
fmt.Println("World!")       // Adds newline
fmt.Printf("Age: %d\n", 25) // Formatted output

✅ Format specifiers:

• %d: Integer
• %s: String
• %f: Float

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💬 Go – Comments

// This is a single-line comment

/*
   This is a
   multi-line comment
*/

✅ Good for documentation and explanation within code.

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📦 Go – Fmt Package

The fmt package provides formatted I/O. Common functions:

Function	Use Case
Print()	Print without newline
Println()	Print with newline
Printf()	Formatted print
Sprintf()	Returns formatted string instead of printing

Example:

msg := fmt.Sprintf("Name: %s", "Alice")
fmt.Println(msg)

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🧊 Go – Zero Value

In Go, uninitialized variables are given zero values:

var a int
var b string
var c bool

fmt.Println(a) // 0
fmt.Println(b) // ""
fmt.Println(c) // false

✅ This ensures variables always have predictable default values.

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📥 Go – Import Statement

Imports are declared at the top using:

import "fmt"

Multiple imports:

import (
    "fmt"
    "math"
)

✅ Aliasing:

import m "math"
fmt.Println(m.Pi)

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📌 Summary – Recap & Next Steps

Go makes it easy to get started with a minimal syntax, rich standard library, and a blazing-fast compiler. With just a few lines, you can write safe, concurrent, and production-ready applications.

🔍 Key Takeaways:

• Install Go using go.dev/dl and verify with go version
• Go programs start with package main and func main()
• Use fmt for all output tasks
• Uninitialized variables have zero values by default
• Import packages with import "pkgname" or grouped import ()

⚙️ Real-World Use Cases:

• Microservices and REST APIs
• DevOps and networking tools
• Data pipelines and CLI utilities

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Is Go compiled or interpreted?
✅ Go is a compiled language—it converts source code into native machine binaries using go build.

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❓ Do I need a special IDE to write Go?
✅ No. Use any text editor or IDE (like VS Code with Go plugin). Go includes its own formatting and linting tools.

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❓ What is the default value of an uninitialized string in Go?
✅ An empty string "".

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❓ How do I print variables in Go?
✅ Use fmt.Printf():

name := "John"
fmt.Printf("Hello, %s!\n", name)

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❓ Can I use Go without installing it?
✅ Yes. Try Go Playground to run code online.

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