Basic Data Types

Integers

Go provides both a general-purpose int (whose size matches the platform, 32 or 64 bit) and explicitly sized integer types like int8, int16, int32, and int64, plus unsigned versions (uint8, uint32, etc.) for values that are never negative.

Note: Use plain int unless you have a specific reason (like memory layout or binary formats) to pick a sized variant.

Example: Integers

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
	var count int = 42
	var small int8 = 120
	var big int64 = 9000000000
	fmt.Println(count, small, big)
}

Floating-Point Numbers

float32 and float64 represent numbers with a decimal point. float64 is the default and generally preferred for precision unless memory is tightly constrained, since float32 loses accuracy for very large or very precise values.

Example: Floating-Point Numbers

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
	var price float64 = 19.99
	var discount float32 = 0.15
	fmt.Println("price:", price, "discount:", discount)
}

Booleans

The bool type holds exactly one of two values, true or false, and is the result of every comparison operator (==, <, >, etc.). Booleans control branching logic in if statements and loop conditions.

Example: Booleans

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
	isActive := true
	hasExpired := false
	fmt.Println("active:", isActive, "expired:", hasExpired)
}

Strings

A string in Go is an immutable sequence of bytes, most commonly holding UTF-8 encoded text. String literals are written in double quotes, and Go provides many built-in operators and standard-library functions for working with them.

Example: Strings

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
	greeting := "Namaste"
	fmt.Println(greeting, "length in bytes:", len(greeting))
}