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version: "1.0.0" name: go description: "Language-specific super-code guidelines for go." risk: safe source: community date_added: "2026-06-16"


Go: Idiomatic Efficiency Reference

When to Use

  • Use this skill when the task matches this description: Language-specific super-code guidelines for go.

Table of Contents

  1. Error Handling
  2. Slices & Maps
  3. Goroutines & Channels
  4. Structs & Interfaces
  5. Functions & Closures
  6. Anti-patterns specific to Go

1. Error Handling {#errors}

go
// ❌ Ignoring errors
result, _ := os.Open(path)
// ✅ — always handle; only use _ when error is provably irrelevant
result, err := os.Open(path)
if err != nil {
return fmt.Errorf("open %s: %w", path, err)
}
go
// ❌ Redundant error variable
err := doA()
if err != nil { return err }
err = doB()
if err != nil { return err }
// ✅ — each :=/: is fine; this is idiomatic Go. Don't try to "fix" it.
// What you CAN simplify: collapsing to one-liners where the if body is a single return
if err := doA(); err != nil { return err }
if err := doB(); err != nil { return err }
go
// ❌ Custom error type with no added value
type MyError struct{ msg string }
func (e MyError) Error() string { return e.msg }
// ✅ — use errors.New or fmt.Errorf unless callers need to inspect type
var ErrNotFound = errors.New("not found")
return fmt.Errorf("lookup %q: %w", key, ErrNotFound)

Wrap errors with `%w` (not `%v`) so callers can use `errors.Is` / `errors.As`.


2. Slices & Maps {#slices}

go
// ❌ Growing a slice without pre-allocation when size is known
var result []string
for _, item := range items {
result = append(result, item.Name)
}
// ✅
result := make([]string, 0, len(items))
for _, item := range items {
result = append(result, item.Name)
}
go
// ❌ Manual existence check before map write
if _, ok := m[key]; !ok {
m[key] = []string{}
}
m[key] = append(m[key], value)
// ✅ — append to nil slice is valid Go
m[key] = append(m[key], value)
go
// ❌ Copying a map by assignment (copies reference)
copy := original
// ✅
copy := make(map[K]V, len(original))
for k, v := range original { copy[k] = v }

3. Goroutines & Channels {#concurrency}

go
// ❌ Fire-and-forget goroutine with no lifecycle
go doWork()
// ✅ — use errgroup or WaitGroup to track completion
var wg sync.WaitGroup
wg.Add(1)
go func() {
defer wg.Done()
doWork()
}()
wg.Wait()
go
// ❌ Unbuffered channel causing unnecessary goroutine block
ch := make(chan Result)
go func() { ch <- compute() }()
result := <-ch
// ✅ — for single-result, buffered channel avoids goroutine leak if receiver exits early
ch := make(chan Result, 1)
go func() { ch <- compute() }()
result := <-ch
go
// ❌ select with a busy-wait default
for {
select {
case v := <-ch:
process(v)
default:
// spin
}
}
// ✅ — blocking select unless you genuinely need non-blocking
for v := range ch {
process(v)
}

Use `golang.org/x/sync/errgroup` for fan-out with error collection.


4. Structs & Interfaces {#structs}

go
// ❌ Large interface
type Storage interface {
Get(key string) ([]byte, error)
Set(key string, val []byte) error
Delete(key string) error
List(prefix string) ([]string, error)
// ... 10 more methods
}
// ✅ — small, composable interfaces
type Getter interface { Get(key string) ([]byte, error) }
type Setter interface { Set(key string, val []byte) error }
type Storage interface { Getter; Setter }
go
// ❌ Returning concrete struct from constructor (ties callers to implementation)
func NewStore() *RedisStore { ... }
// ✅ — return interface when you have or anticipate multiple implementations
func NewStore() Storage { return &RedisStore{...} }
go
// ❌ Pointer receiver for tiny value types
func (p *Point) X() float64 { return p.x }
// ✅ — value receiver for small immutable types
func (p Point) X() float64 { return p.x }

Rule: pointer receiver when method mutates state OR struct is large (>3 fields of non-trivial size). Value receiver otherwise.


5. Functions & Closures {#functions}

go
// ❌ Named return values used just to avoid a variable declaration
func divide(a, b float64) (result float64, err error) {
result = a / b
return
}
// ✅ — named returns are worth it only for deferred mutation or documentation
func divide(a, b float64) (float64, error) {
if b == 0 { return 0, errors.New("division by zero") }
return a / b, nil
}
go
// ❌ Closure capturing loop variable (classic Go bug, fixed in Go 1.22+)
// Pre-1.22: each goroutine captures the same i
for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
go func() { use(i) }()
}
// ✅ (Go <1.22 — pass as parameter)
for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
go func(i int) { use(i) }(i)
}
// Go 1.22+: loop variable scoped per iteration, so the original is safe

6. Anti-patterns specific to Go {#antipatterns}

Anti-patternPreferred
if err != nil { return err } repeated 5+ timesacceptable — it's idiomatic Go
panic for expected errorsreturn err
init() with side effectsexplicit initialization in main or constructors
interface{} / any without genericsuse generics (Go 1.18+) or typed interfaces
Mutex field not adjacent to the data it protectsput mu directly above the field it guards
Channel of channelsusually a sign of over-engineering; redesign
time.Sleep in testsuse testing hooks or channels for synchronization
Exported types with unexported fields (when fields are the whole point)record-style structs with all-exported fields
log.Fatal outside mainreturn errors up the stack

Limitations

  • These are language-specific guidelines and do not cover overall architectural decisions.
  • Over-compression might reduce readability; apply judgement.
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