Introduction

Data types play a crucial role in programming languages like Go, as they define the nature and range of values that variables can hold. In this article, we'll delve into the fundamentals of data types in Go, exploring boolean, numeric, and string types along with their usage and examples.

Basic Data Types in Go

1. Boolean Data Type

   • The boolean data type represents two values: true or false.

   • It's declared using the bool keyword.

   • The default value for a boolean variable is false.

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
  var b1 bool = true
  var b2 = true
  var b3 bool
  b4 := true

  fmt.Println(b1) // true
  fmt.Println(b2) // true
  fmt.Println(b3) // false
  fmt.Println(b4) // true
}

2. Integer Data Types

   • Integers are used to store whole numbers without decimals.

   • Go provides signed and unsigned integer types with varying sizes.

   • Signed integers (int) can store both positive and negative values, while unsigned integers (uint) can store only non-negative values.

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
  var x int = 500
  var y int = -4500
  fmt.Printf("Type: %T, value: %v\n", x, x)
  fmt.Printf("Type: %T, value: %v\n", y, y)
}

3. Float Data Types

   • Floats are used to represent numbers with decimal points.

   • Go offers float32 and float64 data types for representing floating-point numbers.

   • Float64 is the default type for floating-point values.

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
  var x float32 = 123.78
  var y float32 = 3.4e+38
  fmt.Printf("Type: %T, value: %v\n", x, x)
  fmt.Printf("Type: %T, value: %v\n", y, y)
}

4. String Data Type

   • Strings are sequences of characters enclosed within double quotes.

   • Go's string data type is used to store textual data.

   • String variables can be declared using the string keyword.

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
  var txt1 string = "Hello!"
  var txt2 string
  txt3 := "World 1"

  fmt.Printf("Type: %T, value: %v\n", txt1, txt1)
  fmt.Printf("Type: %T, value: %v\n", txt2, txt2)
  fmt.Printf("Type: %T, value: %v\n", txt3, txt3)
}

Choosing the Right Data Type

When declaring variables, it's essential to choose the appropriate data type based on the range and nature of values they will hold. Using the wrong data type may lead to errors or unexpected behavior in your program.

Conclusion

Understanding data types is fundamental to writing efficient and error-free code in Go. By mastering data types like boolean, numeric, and string, you gain better control over variable declaration and manipulation, leading to more robust and reliable programs. Happy coding in Go!