Introduction to Google Go Programming from Alison

Welcome to our free online course on Developing and Programming Agile Apps using Google Go! Google Go, also known as Golang, has seen rapid growth in use and popularity since its public release in 2009. Its design focuses on improving concurrency and productivity, making it an excellent choice for developing scalable and efficient applications. Supported by Google, Go was created to harness the power of multi-core processing.

Skills you will gain

In this course on Developing and Programming Agile Apps Using Google Go, you will gain a comprehensive set of skills that will enable you to effectively use Google Go for building robust and efficient applications. Here are the key skills you will acquire:

  1. Understanding Google Go Basics:
    • Gain proficiency in Go syntax, including packages, imports, and functions.
    • Learn how to declare variables, constants, and data types in Go.
  2. Setting Up Your Development Environment:
    • Install and configure Go on your local machine.
    • Manage dependencies and packages using Go modules.
  3. Working with Data Structures and Functions:
    • Create and use structs to organize complex data.
    • Implement functions and utilize advanced features like defer and variadic functions.
  4. Handling Control Flow and Operators:
    • Use various operators for arithmetic, logical, and comparison operations.
    • Write effective conditional statements (if, else, switch) to control program flow.
  5. Exploring Concurrency in Go:
    • Understand the concepts of concurrency and parallelism.
    • Implement goroutines using the go keyword to execute concurrent tasks.
    • Manage communication and synchronization between goroutines using channels.
  6. Building Web Applications and APIs:
    • Develop web servers and handle HTTP requests using the net/http package.
    • Publish and consume JSON data to build RESTful APIs.
  7. Practical Application of Go Principles:
    • Apply Go principles such as composition, error handling, and interface implementation in real-world scenarios.
    • Write clean and maintainable code following Go’s idiomatic style.
  8. Testing and Benchmarking:
    • Write unit tests and benchmarks for Go code using the testing package.
    • Analyze and improve application performance through benchmarking.
  9. Troubleshooting and Debugging:
    • Debug Go programs effectively using built-in tools and techniques.
    • Handle errors gracefully and implement best practices for error handling.
  10. Continuous Learning and Growth:
    • Develop a mindset for continuous learning and improvement in Go programming.
    • Stay updated with the latest trends and best practices in the Go community.

By acquiring these skills, you will be well-equipped to leverage Google Go’s strengths in concurrency, simplicity, and performance to build agile and scalable applications. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced programmer, mastering Google Go will open up new opportunities for developing cutting-edge software solutions.

What you will learn

In this course on Developing and Programming Agile Apps Using Google Go, you will embark on a comprehensive learning journey that covers essential topics and skills necessary to proficiently use Google Go for application development. Here’s what you will learn:
Module 1: Introduction to Google Go

  • History and Purpose: Understand the origins of Google Go and its design goals.
  • Benefits of Using Go: Explore the advantages of Go, including concurrency support and productivity enhancements.

Module 2: Getting Started with Google Go

  • Using the Go Playground: Learn how to use the golang.org editor to write and execute Go code online.
  • Declaring Variables and Constants: Master the syntax for declaring variables and constants in Go.

Module 3: Go Programming Basics

  • Syntax and Structure: Gain proficiency in Go syntax, including packages, imports, and functions.
  • Types and Type Casting: Understand data types in Go and how to convert between them.

Module 4: Setting Up Your Local Environment

  • Installing Go: Step-by-step guide to installing Go on different operating systems.
  • Configuring the Environment: Set up GOPATH, GOROOT, and explore IDE options for Go development.

Module 5: Working with Data Structures and Functions

  • Structs in Go: Create and utilize structs to organize and manipulate data.
  • Functions: Implement functions, defer execution, and use variadic functions in Go.

Module 6: Operators and Control Flow

  • Operators: Explore arithmetic, logical, and comparison operators in Go.
  • Conditional Statements: Use if, else, and switch statements for control flow in your programs.

Module 7: Arrays, Slices, and Maps

  • Arrays and Slices: Understand the differences between arrays and slices in Go.
  • Maps (Dictionaries): Use maps to store key-value pairs and iterate over them.

Module 8: Concurrency in Go

  • Concurrency vs. Parallelism: Understand the concepts and differences.
  • Goroutines and Channels: Use go keyword to create lightweight concurrent operations and manage communication with channels.

Module 9: Building Web Applications with Go

  • HTTP Servers: Develop web servers using the net/http package in Go.
  • RESTful APIs: Publish and consume JSON data to build scalable APIs.

Module 10: Advanced Topics in Go

  • Error Handling: Implement robust error handling strategies in Go.
  • Interfaces: Define and use interfaces to achieve polymorphism in your programs.
  • Testing and Benchmarking: Write unit tests and benchmarks to ensure code quality and measure performance.

Module 11: Best Practices and Optimization

  • Code Best Practices: Write clean, idiomatic Go code adhering to community standards.
  • Optimization Techniques: Optimize Go programs for performance and efficiency.

Module 12: Real-World Applications and Projects

  • Project-Based Learning: Apply learned concepts to develop practical applications or solve real-world problems using Go.