go

Go Best Practices

Package and Import Statements

• Use meaningful package names that reflect their purpose (e.g., auth, config).
• Group imports in this order: standard library, third-party, then local packages, separated by blank lines.
• Avoid import cycles to maintain clean dependency graphs.

Type System

• Use struct types to define complex data structures.
• Define interface types to specify behavior and enable polymorphism.
• Use type aliases sparingly for clarity (e.g., type ID string).
• Leverage Go’s built-in types (e.g., map, slice) and composite types effectively.
• Avoid unnecessary type conversions to maintain type safety.
• Use struct embedding for composition instead of inheritance.

Naming Conventions

• Use camelCase for variable and function names (e.g., getUser).
• Use PascalCase for type names and exported identifiers (e.g., UserService).
• Use ALL_CAPS for constants (e.g., MAX_RETRIES).
• Be descriptive yet concise in naming (e.g., userCount over cnt).

Code Organization

• Follow the standard Go project layout (e.g., cmd/, pkg/, internal/).
• Keep related code within the same package for cohesion.
• Use subdirectories for larger packages to organize functionality (e.g., api/handlers).

Functions and Methods

• Keep functions short and focused on a single responsibility.
• Use named return values for clarity in complex functions (e.g., func getData() (data string, err error)).
• Avoid side effects in functions to improve predictability.

Best Practices

• Follow the Go proverb: "A little copying is better than a little dependency."
• Use interfaces to define behavior and decouple components.
• Prefer composition over inheritance using embedding.
• Avoid unnecessary abstractions; prioritize simplicity.
• Use the init function sparingly for package initialization.
• Avoid global variables; if unavoidable, ensure they are thread-safe (e.g., with sync.Mutex).
• Be mindful of memory allocations; use profiling tools (e.g., pprof) to optimize performance.
• Use gofmt for consistent formatting and go vet for static analysis.