Golang: Why you should learn GO in 2021

Golang: Why you should learn GO in 2021

Golang is a relatively young but popular programming language. According to a Stack Overflow survey, Golang took third place in the ranking of programming languages that developers would like to study.

In this article, we will try to understand the reasons for the popularity of Go, as well as see where this language is used and why is it worth learning, also if you are a beginner can you learn Golang as your first programming language and a lot more.

The article is also meant to help you start using this programming language more effectively and properly, taking full advantage of Golang’s features and standard libraries to write clear, efficient and dynamic programs.

A brief history of GO

Golang was conceptualized at Google, it got its name right from Google. The language was conceptualized by Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson.

Golang has similarities to C and, like C, it is a tool for professional programmers. With Go, you can achieve maximum effect with minimum effort. Thus, this language is much more than just an updated version of C. Go was originally created to replace C++, as learning C++ is long and difficult, especially understanding the latest standards. Compared to C++ Go is way easier to learn.

Go uses and adjusts good ideas from various programming languages, while slightly avoiding features that led to complex, unstable, and unreliable code.
The tools of Go for concurrency are new and way more productive.

Golang is particularly suited for developing infrastructure like networked servers, also tools and systems for developers. Yet this programming language is definitely a general-purpose language and is used in areas like graphics, mobile applications, and machine learning.

Golang makes it possible to implement a project quickly, easily, and can be used to write microservices. This is an advantage for companies that develop specialized products with very narrow functionality. In this case, there is simply no point in using frameworks that are used in monoliths.

Microservices, on the other hand, make it possible to test several options for a new service, promotion, or other elements of the platform at once.

Programs that are written in Golang normally run faster than programs written in other programming languages. Golang helps to develop complex and interesting software.

The source code of Golang is freely available, as it is an open-source programming language. Its compiler, libraries, and tools are all free to anyone.

The advantages of the language

Golang has many advantages, both well-known and not so well known.

Here is the list of some of its advantages:

• Simplicity of code

• A large number of libraries

• Flexibility

• Straightforward build process

Actually, simplicity was the main goal of creating the language, and it was achieved. Go has a fairly simple syntax (with some assumptions) that you can develop applications faster than in other languages.

There are two interesting things about learning Golang.

Firstly, Golang can be quickly learned by a beginner – someone who does not know any programming language at all and wants to become a developer. Go is almost as easy as PHP or even Pascal, but at the same time as powerful as C++.
Golang is also very suitable for learning as a first programming language for a beginner.

Yes, the syntactic constructions in Golang are a little meager; there is no full-fledged OOP implementation. Go is a functional language that can be used to solve problems of any level of complexity, including those needed by businesses and industry.

Secondly, Golang can be learned by a professional developer, who already knows one or several programming languages. Often, developers learn Go after they have mastered Python, PHP, C++. During the time, some programmers learn successfully to use both languages: Python/Go or PHP/Go. Looking through vacancies, you can often see combinations of Php/Golang, Python/Golang, and others in the requirements.

Golang is also known for its huge number of libraries and packages. And these make working with Go more productive.

The next amazing advantage is its flexibility. Golang’s path to data abstraction and object-oriented development is remarkably flexible.

The programming language was created so that it could be quickly mastered and start solving issues efficiently.

There are only 25 keywords and there is no need to manage memory with threads, it uses the GC and the scheduler. In any case, a beginner needs to start with simple tasks, gradually completing more and more complex projects, and then try to write a project that might be required by any company.

It is also worth studying open repositories on GitHub (there are many of them): reading someone else’s code, suggest fixing of bugs, etc..

You can even try to make your startup, the idea of which is implemented in Go. But you need to remember that a startup product must solve some real issues – for ordinary users or a business. The architecture of the project should be needs-driven, not building tools for tools.

It is believed that a developer who already knows one programming language and knows the principles of building project architecture tends to learn a new programming language more easily. In fact, this statement is true not only for programming: if you are well versed in some area, then you can master something related without problems.

A lot of programmers who decide to learn Go at first face difficulties in understanding some concepts, but anyone can overcome this.

Now, let’s understand if professional developers are switching to Go from other programming languages.

Truth is, programmers themselves get tired of the monolith and endless regressions in the code, so they decide to master Go to get a breath of fresh air.

Is Golang popular among big companies?

In this chapter, we’ll find out if the demand for Go developers is big and in which industries and companies is Go in demand?

Inarguably, go is in demand in almost all huge companies and industries.

These are video converters, streaming services, aggregators, online stores, instant messengers. You can estimate the level of demand for Golang developers in various companies by evaluating the list of organizations whose projects/software work on Go.

Here is the list of some huge companies that actually run on Golang.

• Google

• Microsoft

• Facebook

• Dell

• HP

• Intel

• SAP

• IBM

• Walmart

• RedHat

Golang is good for push notifications, ideal for streaming, and is fast because it is compiled and simple. In this, it is similar to interpreted python. As a result, a large number of companies are now looking for developers who are at least a little familiar with Go or are ready to switch to it in the learning process.

According to the latest researches, there is a huge trend now.

The trend is that Go is now used to develop things that are usually written in C++: like a productive backend, mathematics, data processing, key non-trivial business logic. In general, what was previously used to develop with C++, .Net or Java, is now developed with Golang.

The largest companies are more actively using Golang. The trend in big companies is now “rewrite the project from any other programming language to Go”. But at the same time, not for everything, there are libraries in Go. Simplicity and reliability of Golang.

Golang is great for creating microservices, so in the future, the demand for such programmers will only grow. There are not many Golang developers, so they are paid higher. Middle and Senior Golang developers tend to get higher salaries compared to developers of other programming languages.

To sum up, we must admit that Golang is a promising programming language both in terms of the development process and in terms of career growth. No doubt, Golang is the programming language of the future.

So if you are attracted by Golang, then you should do the first steps and try to learn it. In the upcoming years, the need for specialists from this industry will only grow. Go is definitely not hype, the language will develop for many years.

Practically any highly motivated beginner can learn it, having spent a certain amount of time and effort on learning. At the same time, there are not so many Go developers now, so there is an opportunity to enter the labor market right now.

The best source that we can suggest for more information about the language is the official website of the Golang. The official website of Golang provides access to the documentation, including specifications, standard packages, and a lot more.

Moreover, you can find the latest updates, tutorials on how to write Golang and how to write it well, and a wide variety of online text and video materials.

The website also has a blog that publishes some of the best writing on Go.
You can also do your first steps in Golang and
download and install it on your PC.

Golang is becoming more and more popular among programmers, so take your chance and start learning it today.

 

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