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Go (Golang) Basic - Environment Setup

#go #newbie #programming

Ready to Start Coding in Go?

The first essential step on your journey with Go is to set up a proper development environment. A good setup is the foundation for a smooth learning experience.

In this article, we'll walk through all the necessary preparations. Let's get started!

Step 1: Install Go

The first step is to install the Go "engine" on our computer. This includes the compiler and other essential tools.

  • Visit the official website at golang.org and download the installer that matches your operating system (Windows/macOS/Linux).
  • Run the installer. The process is the same as installing any other regular application.
  • Once finished, open your Terminal (or Command Prompt on Windows) and type the following command to verify: 
  go version
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  • If you see output like go version go1.x.x ..., your installation was successful!

Step 2: Choose and Set Up Your Code Editor

You'll need a place to write your code. There are many great options, but here are two of the most popular choices in the Go community.

Option A: Visual Studio Code (Free & Popular)

VS Code is a free, lightweight, yet powerful code editor from Microsoft. It's an excellent choice for beginners and professionals alike due to its vast library of extensions.

  • Download: Get it from its official site: code.visualstudio.com.
  • Setup: After installing, open VS Code, go to the Extensions tab (the block icon on the side), search for the extension named "Go" created by the Go team at Google, and click Install. This will give you essential features like code completion, error checking, and much more.

Option B: GoLand (Professional IDE)

GoLand is a full-featured Integrated Development Environment (IDE) from JetBrains, the company behind tools like IntelliJ and WebStorm. It's specifically designed for Go development and offers powerful debugging and refactoring tools right out of the box.

  • Download: Get it from the JetBrains GoLand website.
  • Setup: GoLand is a paid product, but it offers a 30-day free trial. It's also often free for students through programs like the GitHub Student Developer Pack. The setup is straightforward; just install it, and all the Go tools are already integrated.

Step 3: Create and Initialize Your Project

Every good Go project needs a structured "home" or directory. This is where all your code files will live.

  1. Create a new folder anywhere on your computer. Give it a name, for example, my-go-project.
  2. Open that folder in your chosen editor (VS Code or GoLand).
  3. Open the integrated Terminal in your editor.
    • In VS Code: Terminal > New Terminal.
    • In GoLand: View > Tool Windows > Terminal.
  4. In the terminal, run this command to initialize your project as a Go module: 
   go mod init my-go-project
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This command creates a go.mod file, which is crucial for managing your project's dependencies later on. Your folder is now officially a Go project!

Conclusion

Congratulations! Your local development environment is now fully configured and ready for Go development. You have the compiler, a powerful editor, and an initialized project folder.

Now that our "workshop" is ready, in the next part of this series, we will finally write our first lines of Go code and run the legendary "Hello, World!" program. See you in the next article!

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