Setting up Go Environment

Before writing Go code, you must set up your Go development environment on your computer. This involves installing Go on your system and configuring it properly. The process is straightforward, and the Go team provides installation packages for various operating systems.

Step 1. Downloading Go

Visit the official Go download website and download the stable release for your computer.

Please choose the appropriate installer for your system, download it, and run the installer. The installation process typically involves accepting the license agreement and choosing a destination path for the Go installation. Once the installation is complete, it will be available on your system.

Step 2. Setting Environment Variables

After installing Go, you must set some environment variables to make it functional in your command-line interface. The most important environment variables are:

• GOROOT: This variable should point to the location where Go is installed on your system. The installer usually sets this automatically, but you can set it manually if it doesn't.

• GOPATH: This variable defines the workspace directory for your Go projects. All your Go code and dependencies will be organized within this workspace. You can choose a directory on your system as your workspace and set the GOPATH variable accordingly.

• PATH: Add the Go binary directory to your system's PATH environment variable to use the Go tools and binaries from any directory. This allows you to run Go commands from the command line easily.

Confirm these variables with the Command:

go env

Step 3. Verifying the Installation

Once the environment variables are set, you can verify that Go is installed correctly. Open your terminal (or Command prompt) and type the following Command:

go version

This Command should display the installed Go version, confirming that Go is correctly set up on your system.

Step 4. Workspace Structure

Go follows a specific workspace structure. Inside your GOPATH, create the following directories:

• src: This directory contains the source code of your Go projects and their packages. When you run a go get Command, the imported package will live locally in this directory.

• bin: Go binaries (executable files) will be placed in this directory when you build your projects.

• pkg: Compiled package files will be stored here after building your projects.

Step 5. IDE or Text Editor

Finally, choose an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) or a text editor to write your Go code. Some popular options for seamless Go development include:

• Visual Studio Code with the official "Go" extension

• GoLand or any IntelliJ IDE with the Go plugin

• Vim with the "vim-go" plugin

If you want a quick and easy build, the GoLand IDE is a more suitable choice for beginners. With your Go environment properly set up, you can write your first Go program and explore the language's features. As you progress through this guide, use the resources mentioned earlier and practice to become proficient in Go programming.