What is Golang? Why should you use Golang language?

 Golang is an open source language that helps programmers easily build reliable and efficient software. It is considered the most popular programming language in the world and is behind the success of many famous software such as Kubernetes and Docker. 

So what is Golang and what makes it different from other programming languages? If you are starting to learn about Golang or want to master this language, the article shared by TipsMake below is exactly what you are looking for.

What is Golang?

Golang  (Go Language) is a programming language created and designed by Google employees. However, Golang exists as an open source project and is not owned by Google. This programming language is built to be readable, simple, efficient and high performance.

1. Golang is also known as a statically typed language. This means that everything in this programming language has a data type and it is in contrast to dynamically typed languages ​​like  Python  or  Javascript .
2. Golang is similar to Java or C++ because it is also a language used for programming purposes. However, simplicity is what makes Golang different from other programming languages. It has a fairly concise syntax and has a great degree of similarity to C++. Therefore, learning Golang is no longer difficult if you are too familiar with C++.
3. Golang also has many things in common with Java, especially the ability to build and develop cross-platform applications. This helps programmers using this programming language easily integrate into the programming community even though it is a "latecomer" language.
4. Golang comes from the official website domain Golang.org, making it easier to find information about this programming language.

Overall, Golang is compact, sharp and has a very high compatibility. Therefore, software programs run by Golang are extremely fast under many different conditions.

Golang is a programming language created and designed by Google employees.

Why should you learn Golang?

1. Hardware limitations

To improve the performance of the application, users can upgrade the hardware by using CPU with more cores, adding cache. However, these operations will be costly. You can also build more optimized software to improve performance, but most of the new programming languages ​​today do not bring significant efficiency like Golang.

2. Goroutines feature

Most languages ​​like Python, Java support multi-threading. However, they have certain limitations in concurrent execution, thread-locking, race conditions and deadlocks, which makes it difficult to create multi-threaded applications. Therefore, it will be difficult to communicate between threads in these programming languages.

Golang was launched in 2009 when multi-core processors were already available. That's why the language was developed with concurrency in mind, and has goroutines instead of threads.

Goroutines have growable segmented stacks, which can expand RAM if needed. Goroutines also take less time to start up than threads.

Goroutines have channels and can communicate between them. They also have mutex locking, which prevents conflicting reads and writes to a shared data structure or variable.

3. Communicate directly with the microprocessor via binary code (binaries)

Because Golang is a compiled language, the code will be converted to binaries to run without an interpreter, helping to optimize performance. Although it is a high-level programming language, Golang also has good performance almost equal to lower-level programming languages, such as C, C++.

4. Easy to maintain and extend code

Golang is a programming language that is streamlined in every syntax, not as verbose as other programming languages. The code is designed to be simple, easy to understand and limits changes outside the function (side effects) so that programmers can work most effectively. At the same time, Golang also removes many features of modern object-oriented programming languages ​​(OOP).

Besides, this language also has some outstanding features such as:

1. Everything in Golang is divided into packages.
2. Has structure like C/C++ language
3. No support for inheritance, can change code easier
4. No constructors
5. No annotations like Java
6. There is no exception but there is an error, so there is no try/catch syntax.

5. Designed and powered by Google

Google is one of the largest cloud infrastructure companies in the world, which requires high scalability and efficiency. Golang is designed and developed by Google, so it can meet the above needs of today's businesses.

Golang is designed and developed by Google

When to use Golang?

To be able to use Golang in the most optimal and effective way, you need to clearly understand the following cases when you should use Golang:

1. Distribution of network services 

Network application programs mainly depend on concurrency and native. Meanwhile, these are the two strongest points of Golang because it owns extremely superior channels and goroutines. Optimize the concurrency and native tasks of network programs so that operations are performed smoothly, accurately and at the fastest speed. Therefore, Golang is widely used for information distribution services and cloud computing thanks to its advantages in accuracy and speed.

2. Replace existing infrastructure 

The infrastructure of companies, businesses or corporations will quickly become outdated in the face of the daily development of information technology. Therefore, Golang with its simplicity and compactness is the most suitable language for upgrading software. This programming language ensures safety, minimizes the risk of loss, provides a solid structure and is easily compatible with many different platforms for the infrastructure so that future maintenance becomes simpler.

Golang is designed to be lean and minimalistic, but its data size is extremely large. With just a simple command, the programming language will consume the entire capacity of normal memory. Therefore, Golang is only suitable for projects with complex scales. You should not use this language for small projects to avoid complicating the implementation and wasting resources.

The outstanding and exclusive feature Goroutines is the biggest advantage of Golang

When not to use Golang

Although Golang has many advantages, it is not always the best choice. There are some situations you should consider before using Golang.

- Small and simple projects: For small projects, using Golang may be redundant due to its complex syntax and limited support. Instead, you should use programming languages ​​such as Python or JavaScript.

- Applications that require fast development speed: In a fast-paced development environment, Golang may not be the optimal choice for applications that need to be launched quickly.

- Insufficient documentation or support: An important factor when choosing a programming language is community support and documentation. Although Golang is growing in popularity, it still does not have the same level of support as Python or Java. This can make it difficult for new programmers to find information or solve problems. 

- Projects that require high compatibility: When working on projects that require high compatibility with the current system, Golang will not be the ideal choice. 

Outstanding features of GoLang

Below are the outstanding features of Golang

Simple and clear syntax: Golang is designed with clear syntax, helping beginners approach and learn faster.

Static data types: Golang requires every variable to have a defined data type, which helps to reduce errors during execution. 

Fast compilation performance: Golang compilation time is very short, usually taking only a few seconds to a few minutes.

Concurrency Support: One of the most powerful features of Golang is its ability to handle concurrency through goroutines and channels. 

Rich standard library: Golang comes with a robust standard library, providing many useful packages for application development, from networking to data processing.

Platform independence: Golang source code can be compiled into compact binaries, allowing it to run on multiple operating systems without depending on the development environment.

High Compatibility: Golang can link with C libraries and other systems, which enhances interoperability and performance in software development.

Advantages of using Golang

When using Golang, you will get some advantages such as:

1. Utility:  The outstanding and exclusive feature Goroutines is the biggest advantage of Golang. This feature exists as a positive tool to help programmers solve many problems. Goroutines have multiple channels and allow communication between channels. In addition, the startup time is faster than normal threads and has mutex locking that allows locking data structures to avoid conflicts between reads and writes.
2. Speed:  Golang's binary speed will be slower than C++, but the performance difference between Golang and C++ is not too much. However, compared to other languages ​​such as Python, Java or Ruby, its speed is much faster.
3. Flexible:  The executable data files created using Golang's toolchain can still operate smoothly on their own without the need for external dependencies. The programming language's toolchain also supports a wide range of hardware and operating systems and is considered an efficient binary compilation tool.
4. Compatibility:  With the ability to link with C libraries both externally and internally to native systems, Golang can be compatible with many different systems. These links have the ability to complement each other's performance and minimize software development time.
5. Support:  Golang always brings users new and unique experiences because it is linked to many different third parties such as MacOS, Windows, Linux, etc. This programming language also has built-in support for popular development environments such as Komodo IDE and Microsoft Visual Studio Code.

Some disadvantages of Golang

Besides the great advantages that can bring benefits to users, Golang still has limitations that need to be considered:

1. No Generics Support:  The code generated by Golang is very abstract and difficult to understand. Therefore, it makes users lose the opportunity to build clear lines of code. 
2. Strict Rules:  While systematizing the process is considered an advantage by many, it limits the creativity of the user. However, you can overcome this by using a creative plugin to override these rules. 
3. Minimalism:  Golang is lightweight and compact but sometimes this makes the operating cycle overloaded. The user's storage capacity is also limited because the language's library is not as extensive as other languages.  

Golang is designed to be lean and minimalistic but its data size is huge

Golang with Java and Python, C++

Here is a comparison between Golang and other popular programming languages ​​like Java, Python and C++ on some key aspects:

Golang vs Java

Efficiency:

- Golang generally provides better runtime performance 

- Java, due to generating smaller binaries and using static linking, does not need Just-In-Time compilation.

Support:

- Applications written in Java often require large memory and longer startup times.

- Golang provides fast performance and consumes less resources.

Golang vs Python

- Python is a great programming language for quick and easy development but often struggles with performance in large scale applications.

- Golang can handle large workloads better due to its better memory management and performance. 

Golang vs C++

- C++ is a high-level programming language with excellent memory control capabilities, but its syntax is more complex and can be difficult for new programmers.

- Golang provides a combination of performance and ease of development. 

Popular applications of Golang

Here are some popular applications of Golang:

Web Application Development

Due to its high performance and concurrency, many companies are now choosing Golang for web application development. Web development frameworks such as: Gin, Echo, and Revel.

Microservices and APIs

Microservices are a popular architecture in modern software development. Golang is well suited for building microservices due to its parallel processing capabilities and low resource consumption. Many large companies have chosen Golang to develop API services because of its efficiency and scalability. By using Golang, organizations can develop and deploy services quickly and easily.

DevOps and cloud technology

In the DevOps and cloud technology space, Golang has become a popular choice for developing automation and system management tools. Many popular tools like Docker and Kubernetes are written in Golang.

Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

Golang is also becoming a popular choice in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. Many major blockchain projects such as Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric have used Golang, thanks to its high performance and concurrency capabilities. 

Enterprise and e-commerce applications

- Uber: Using Golang in geolocation system to improve ride booking service1.

- PayPal: Golang is used to develop payment systems and API2.

- Trivago: Using Golang in e-commerce service.

Instructions for installing Golang on Windows 10

To successfully install and run Golang on Windows 10, you can follow these instructions:

1. Step 1: Download Golang from https://go.dev/ .
2. Step 2: Open command prompt (type "cmd" in Windows search bar and select the first application displayed), type "go" and enter before proceeding to install Go.
3. Step 3: Click on the downloaded installer to install Go and follow the prompts.
4. Step 4: After installing "Go through the installer", go back to the command line and continue typing "Go" to see some of the available commands.
5. Step 5: Configure environment variables to set up your Go workspace.
6. Step 6: On the Windows search bar, search for env and select "Edit system environment variables"
7. Step 7: Select "Environment Variables" and change the value of "Gopath" variable to the directory.
8. Step 8: Make sure Gopath is selected and select "edit".
9. Step 9: Select "Browser Folder".
10. Step 10: Select the folder created in step 5, select Ok -> Continue to select OK -> Select OK again to complete the Golang installation.

It can be seen that Golang is a compact, agile and sharp programming language in building and operating software programs under many different conditions. Compared to many popular programming languages, even Python, Golang is not inferior thanks to its ability to meet a variety of common programming needs of programmers. 

Understanding what Golang is as well as other general knowledge that TipsMake shares will help you a lot in equipping yourself with the necessary skills to program and build effective software programs.

Marvin Fry

Update 19 April 2025