10 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Learning GoLang Programming

Gabe Araujo, M.Sc.
6 min read20 hours ago

Golang (or simply Go) is a powerful, modern language that has quickly gained popularity due to its simplicity, concurrency support, and efficient handling of large-scale applications. However, like any language, there are some pitfalls that beginners — and even experienced developers — tend to encounter when learning Go. In this article, we’ll explore ten common mistakes to avoid, complete with advanced code examples and in-depth explanations to help you master the intricacies of Go programming.

1. Ignoring Idiomatic Go (Not Writing in “Go Style”)

One common mistake many beginners make is treating Go like other languages they already know, such as Python or Java. Go has a specific idiomatic style that encourages clean, readable code.

Example of Non-Idiomatic Go:

package main

import "fmt"
func main() {
for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
if i % 2 == 0 {
fmt.Println(fmt.Sprintf("Number %d is even", i))
}
}
}

The above code may look fine, but it’s not idiomatic. The use of fmt.Sprintf inside fmt.Println is unnecessary. Go prefers simplicity, so directly using fmt.Printf is better.

Idiomatic Go Solution:

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Gabe Araujo, M.Sc.

CEO & Founder of CodeCraft Publications 🌍 Educator in Automation, Data Science, and AI 🛠 Empowering learners with free resources: https://tinyurl.com/2j5x6a5c