Go (sometimes referred to as Golang ) is an open-source programming language initially developed at Google, with the proposal to simplify software development and improve programming productivity. It was designed to be a high performance, run-time efficient static typing language while being easy to use. First published in 2009, Go is a compiled, garbage-collected language known for its scalability, readability, and speed. Go’s concurrency primitives (goroutines and channels) simplify the coding of efficient concurrent execution, making it great for writing performant network services. These characteristics make Go an attractive option for writing a maintainable, scalable codebase while being easy to use and understand by the programmer.

Go is used for backend web applications, system programming, tooling, DevOps/CI/CD, Internet of Things, cloud computing, and more. Go’s features make it easy to write fast, multithreaded code. Hence, it’s especially useful for writing lightweight microservices and distributed programming. Popular open-source applications written in Go are Docker, Ethereum, Kubernetes, Terraform, Snap, and others. Go is also used by several companies, including: Google Dropbox Heroku Netflix SendGrid Uber

How long does it take to learn Go?

Learning Go’s basics might take around one or two weeks, depending on the person. It’s significantly easier for those who are already well acquainted with another backend programming language such as Java , Python , or C . Mastering it might take around 3 months.

What are the prerequisites for learning Go?

Few prerequisites are needed. How to use the command line, a text editor, and basic programming concepts such as functions are all that’s need to start learning Go.