As a Node.js developer for over a decade, I've built countless web applications, APIs, and microservices. Node.js has been my go-to language for its versatility and vast ecosystem. However, I've recently become increasingly interested in Go, particularly its performance, concurrency model, and growing popularity in the cloud-native space. This interest led me to start learning Go, and I'm thrilled to share my experiences and insights with you all.
Reasons for Go's Popularity
Go has been steadily gaining popularity among developers, and for good reason. It offers a unique blend of features that make it a compelling choice for building modern, high-performance applications.
- Performance: Go's compiled nature and efficient garbage collection result in impressive execution speed, often outperforming interpreted languages like Node.js and Python.
- Concurrency: Go's built-in concurrency features, through goroutines and channels, make it easier to write concurrent code, which is essential for building scalable applications.
- Simplicity: Go's syntax is clean, minimal, and easy to learn, reducing cognitive overhead and promoting code readability.
- Type Safety: Go's static typing helps catch errors during compilation, reducing runtime surprises and improving code reliability.
- Tooling: Go's comprehensive standard library and rich ecosystem of third-party tools provide developers with the necessary resources to build and maintain robust applications.
Go's sweet spot lies in its ability to balance performance, concurrency, and simplicity. It's a language that allows you to write efficient, scalable code without sacrificing readability or ease of development.
Go's popularity has also been fueled by the rise of Kubernetes. As Kubernetes has become the de facto standard for container orchestration, Go has benefited from its close association. Kubernetes is written in Go, and many of its components and extensions are also built using Go.
Why I Started Learning Go
Beyond the technical benefits, I was drawn to Go's simplicity and elegance. Coming from the world of JavaScript with its occasional quirks and complexities, Go's minimalist syntax and clear design principles were a breath of fresh air. The language's focus on readability and maintainability aligned with my belief in writing clean, understandable code.
I've been writing code in a functional-lite style in Node.js, and Go allows me to continue with that as it has many of the traits that make this possible in JS. Go's support for first-class functions, closures, and immutability makes it well-suited for functional programming paradigms. This was a significant advantage, as I could leverage my existing functional programming skills while exploring Go's unique features. Check out my video about functional programming in JavaScript - many of the concepts apply to Go as well.
I was particularly interested in Kubernetes and the possibility of writing Kubernetes extensions and operators in Go. Kubernetes has become the de facto standard for container orchestration, and Go's close association with Kubernetes made it a natural choice for extending its functionality. The prospect of building custom Kubernetes tools and controllers in Go further fueled my interest in learning the language.
If you're interested in similar topics, check out my YouTube channel, where I share content about Kubernetes, functional programming, and many other software development topics:
Let's Talk Dev - YouTube
I share my insights and tips on software engineering topics such as web development, databases, cloud computing, and more. Hi, I'm Mihai and I'm a full-stack software engineer with a passion for creating innovative and user-friendly solutions using web and cloud technologies. I have a home lab where I like to experiment with Kubernetes and other cutting-edge technologies. I'm also a big fan of open-source software. When I'm not coding, I enjoy photography, reading books, learning about finance and entrepreneurship, and watching movies.
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Transitioning from Node.js to Go:
While I found several similarities between Go and Node.js, particularly in their approach to concurrency and support for functional programming paradigms, there are also some notable differences that shaped my transition experience. Initially, I felt a bit disoriented switching between the two languages, but as I gained more experience with Go, the transition became smoother.
Go's strict type system and compilation process were significant changes from Node.js with TypeScript. While TypeScript introduces static typing to JavaScript, Go's type system is more strict and enforced during compilation. This stricter approach reduces runtime errors and improves code reliability. Go's compilation process also differs from TypeScript's transpilation process. Go compiles directly to machine code, resulting in faster execution speeds compared to TypeScript, which is transpiled to JavaScript that then runs on a JavaScript engine.
A big difference was Go's minimalist approach to error handling. Unlike Node.js's reliance on exceptions, Go treats errors as values, requiring explicit handling. This approach, while initially surprising, encouraged me to write more robust and error-aware code. It also made me realize the importance of carefully considering error handling strategies in my Node.js projects. I must say that I much prefer Go’s approach to error handling!
Go's built-in support for concurrency through goroutines and channels was a significant advantage over Node.js's single-threaded model with its event loop and asynchronous callbacks. Goroutines, Go's lightweight concurrency units, allowed me to write concurrent code without the overhead of managing threads manually. They are managed by the Go runtime, and multiple goroutines can be multiplexed onto a smaller number of OS threads. This is unlike Node.js, where the developer has to make use of the event loop and manage asynchronous code and callbacks. Channels, the communication mechanism between goroutines, provided a safe and efficient way to synchronize data between concurrent processes. They can be used to pass data and also to signal that a certain task is done.
For other Node.js developers looking to learn Go, I recommend embracing the type system, understanding the concurrency model, and adopting Go’s error handling approach. There are plenty of resources available online, including tutorials, documentation, and community forums, to help you get started with Go. You can also check out my video about how I started learning Go:
Benefits of Learning Go
Learning Go has been a rewarding experience, and I encourage other Node.js developers to explore this powerful language. By taking this step, you'll be investing in your own growth and development as a software engineer. Here are some of the benefits I've gained from learning Go:
- Improved performance and scalability of applications: Go's compiled nature and efficient memory management translate to faster execution speeds and reduced resource consumption. This can lead to significant improvements in application performance, especially for high-traffic web services and data-intensive applications.
- Enhanced understanding of concurrency and parallelism: Go's built-in concurrency features, using goroutines and channels, provide an elegant and efficient way to handle concurrent operations. Learning Go can deepen your understanding of concurrency concepts.
- Increased productivity and code maintainability: Go's simplicity, strong typing, and tooling contribute to increased developer productivity. The language's focus on readability and clarity makes it easier to write, understand, and maintain code, even in large and complex projects.
- Exposure to a new programming language and its community: Learning a new language like Go exposes you to new ideas, paradigms, and approaches to problem-solving. It also opens doors to a vibrant and supportive community of Go developers, where you can learn, collaborate, and contribute.
Conclusion:
Go's popularity is a testament to its ability to address the challenges of building modern, high-performance applications. Its performance, concurrency model, simplicity, and tooling have made it a compelling choice for developers across various domains.
My journey into Go as a Node.js developer has been a rewarding experience. The transition, while initially challenging, has broadened my perspective and enhanced my skill set. I encourage other Node.js developers to consider learning Go and explore its potential for building robust and scalable applications.
About me
I'm Mihai Farcas, a software engineer with a few years of experience under my belt. I'm passionate about writing code and love sharing knowledge with fellow developers.
My YouTube channel, "Let's Talk Dev," is where I break down complex concepts, share my experiences (both the good and the face-palm moments).
Connect with me:
Website: https://mihai.ltd
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@letstalkdev
GitHub: https://github.com/mihailtd
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihai-farcas-ltd/
Top comments (25)
Go might be faster than Node, but that isn't exactly an achievement... you can literally write the exact same JS code, line for line, but change the runtime to either Bun or Deno and you will get better performance than with Node... Also Go might be popular among developers but sadly its not nearly as popular in the enterprise space which is dominated by C# and Java, and while that might not be a bad thing you should still consider options that could advance your career, so think carefully about what you're trying to achieve with this hobby of yours
Like I said in the article, a lot of the recent popularity is also fueled by Kubernetes and Kubernetes related development. So it is gaining traction with the enterprise. I agree it's not as popular as Java or C#, but still there are a lot of jobs out there.
chiar si in Romania C# si Java sunt la putere, daca te uiti pe ejobs trebuie sa ai mare noroc sa vezi ceva legat de Go...
To gauge a language or technology's popularity, I look at its open-source activity, community engagement, and tooling. Strong growth and a vibrant open-source ecosystem, with lots of new tools emerging, usually indicate that enterprises will eventually adopt it, even if they're slower to react. I prefer to focus on technologies with this kind of momentum, especially if I want to avoid legacy projects. There are jobs out there, I was contacted multiple times regarding opportunities involving Golang.
Currently I hesitate between Go and Rust to play with a new lang for fun.
You add points to Go ;).
Rust is good. But the compile time and cross-compilation is just better on Go. Those cheap multi-core arm64 servers are really good with Golang.
Rust is an absolute nightmare to write and read as a human being...
Thank you!
I really like go as well. It took me a bit to really "get" the language but once you do it's powerful and enjoyable to use. My only complaint is testing - it's much easier to test in almost any language. Go does force you to think about testing in the design though which is a net positive.
That was my experience as well!
Great article Mihai, welcome to the Go space 😎
Thank you!
It’s interesting how you’ve embraced Go’s strict typing and minimalist error handling, as those can be game changers in improving code quality.
Thanks! Considering making a video about it in the future on my Let's Talk Dev YouTube channel youtube.com/@letstalkdev
I was a java developer for 10 years and transitioned into Go 2 years ago. It took me no time to start with it.
Yes, you can choose to either go with a traditional OOP approach or a functional-lite approach. It's very flexible.
I started using Go after working with Node.js, and it’s been great. Learning Go has really helped me deepen my backend knowledge, and I definitely want to keep using it in the future.
That's great! and that's exactly how I feel about it!
Thanks for the piece. Just wondering as a data focused engineer, if data processing or transformations will be faster if built with Go.
Depends on the complexity of your use case. You can interact with most - if not all - databases from Go. There are also some libraries for data frames, comparable to what you can find in Python, however, they might not be as mature or complete. As a language it is definitely faster than Python.
I started learning Go about 2 months ago and I've completed few learning fullstack apps using React/Nextjs for frontend. I think it's worth it.
That's awesome! I think so too!
It is better to check the CodeBehind Framework before you start Go.