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Mastering Golang: Top 50 Interview Questions and Answers for Beginners

Beginner's Guide to Golang Interview Questions and Answers

by Rajni
golang interview question and answers for beginners

Table of Contents

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Introduction

Go, also known as Golang, has emerged as a powerful and efficient language for modern software development. Created by Google, Go combines simplicity, strong performance, and built-in concurrency support, making it a preferred choice for developing scalable and high-performance applications. Whether you’re aiming to land a job as a Golang developer or looking to add Go to your programming toolkit, preparing for an interview is essential. This blog post will provide you with a comprehensive list of 50 beginner-level interview questions and their answers to help you get ready and boost your confidence.
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Top 50 Golang Interview Questions and Answers for Beginners

1. What is Golang?

Golang, or Go, is an open-source programming language created by Google. It’s designed for simplicity, efficiency, and strong performance, making it suitable for system-level programming and large-scale software development.

2. Who developed Golang and when?

Golang was developed by Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson at Google in 2007 and was officially released in 2009.

3. What are the main features of Go?

Key features include simplicity, concurrency support via goroutines, garbage collection, static typing, built-in testing tools, and a rich standard library.

4. How do you declare a variable in Go?

Variables can be declared using the var keyword or the shorthand :

= syntax.

var x int 

y := 10 

5. What is a goroutine?

A goroutine is a lightweight thread managed by the Go runtime. It allows concurrent execution of functions.

6. How do you start a goroutine?

You start a goroutine by using the go keyword followed by a function call.
go func() { 

    fmt.Println("Hello, goroutine!") 

}()  

7. What is a channel in Go?

A channel is a conduit through which goroutines communicate. Channels can be used to send and receive values between goroutines.

8. How do you declare and use a channel?

Channels are declared using the ‘chan’ keyword.
ch := make(chan int) 

ch <- 1  // Send a value to the channel 

value := <-ch  // Receive a value from the channel

9. What is the purpose of the select statement in Go?

The select statement is used to wait on multiple channel operations. It allows a goroutine to wait on multiple communication operations.

10. How do you handle errors in Go?

Errors are handled by returning an error type from functions and checking for it in the calling
if err != nil { 

    fmt.Println("Error:", err) 

} 

11. What is a Go package?

A package in Go is a way to group related Go files together. The package provides modularity and code reusability.

12. How do you import a package in Go?

You import a package using the import keyword.

13. What is the init function in Go?

The init function is a special function that is automatically executed when a package is initialized. It is used for setup tasks.

14. What is the difference between := and = in Go?

:= is used for short variable declaration and initialization, while = is used for assignment.

15. What are slices in Go?

Slices are a dynamic, flexible view into the elements of an array. They are more powerful and convenient than arrays.

16. How do you create a slice in Go?

Slices can be created by slicing arrays or by using the make function.
arr := [5]int{1, 2, 3, 4, 5} 

s := arr[1:4] 

17. What is a struct in Go?

A struct is a composite data type that groups together variables under a single name. Each variable in a struct is called a field.

18. How do you define and initialize a struct in Go?

You define a struct using the type keyword and initialize it using the struct literal syntax.
type Person struct { 

    Name string 

    Age  int 

} 

p := Person{Name: "Alice", Age: 30}

19. What are interfaces in Go?

Interfaces are types that specify a set of method signatures. A type implements an interface by implementing its methods.

20. How do you declare an interface in Go?

Interfaces are declared using the type keyword followed by the method signatures.
type Speaker interface { 

    Speak() string 

} 

21. How do you implement an interface in Go?

A type implements an interface by providing definitions for all the methods in the interface.
type Dog struct{} 

  

func (d Dog) Speak() string { 

    return "Woof!" 

} 

22. What is the difference between a method and a function in Go?

A method is a function with a receiver argument. Methods are associated with a specific type.
func (p Person) Greet() { 

    fmt.Println("Hello, my name is", p.Name) 

} 

23. What is the purpose of the defer statement in Go?

The defer statement postpones the execution of a function until the surrounding function returns. It’s often used for cleanup tasks.

24. How do you create a new Go module?

You create a new Go module using the go mod init command followed by the module path.  go mod init example.com/mymodule

25. What is the go fmt tool?

go fmt is a tool that automatically formats Go source code according to standard style guidelines.

26. How do you run tests in Go?

You run tests using the ‘go test’ command. Test files should be named with _test.go suffix and contain functions starting with ‘Test’. 

go test 

27. What is a pointer in Go?

A pointer is a variable that holds the memory address of another variable. 

28. How do you declare and use pointers in Go?

Pointers are declared using the * operator and are used to read or write the value at the address.
var p *int 

x := 10 

p = &x 

fmt.Println(*p)  // Outputs: 10 

29. What is the zero value in Go?

The zero value is the default value assigned to a variable if it is not explicitly initialized. For example, the zero value for integers is 0, for booleans is false, and for strings is “”.

30. What is the recover function in Go?

The recover function is used to regain control of a panicking goroutine. It is used in conjunction with defer to handle panic situations gracefully. 

31. What are the built-in data types in Go?

Built-in data types include basic types like int, float64, string, bool, composite types like arrays, slices, maps, structs, and pointer types.

32. How do you create a map in Go?

Maps are created using the make function or map literals.
m := make(map[string]int) 

m["key"] = 42 

33. What is the range keyword used for in Go?

The range keyword is used to iterate over elements in arrays, slices, maps, and channels. 

for index, value := range slice { 

    fmt.Println(index, value) 

} 

34. What is the difference between append and copy in Go?

append adds elements to the end of a slice, while copy copies elements from one slice to another. 

slice = append(slice, 4, 5) 

copy(destSlice, srcSlice) 

35. How do you handle string concatenation in Go?

Strings can be concatenated using the + operator. 

s := "Hello, " + "world!" 

36. What is type assertion in Go?

Type assertion is used to extract the underlying value of an interface type.  
var i interface{} = "hello" 

s := i.(string) 

37. What is the go run command used for?

The go run command compiles and runs Go source files in one step. 

go run main.go 

38. How do you write a comment in Go?

Comments in Go are written using // for single-line comments and /* */ for multi-line comments. 

// This is a single-line comment 

/* 

This is a multi-line comment 

*/ 

39. What is the main function in Go?

The main function is the entry point of a Go program. It is where execution begins.
func main() { 

    fmt.Println("Hello, World!") 

} 

40. What is a blank identifier _ in Go?

The blank identifier _ is used to ignore values in assignments and function returns. 

_, err := someFunction() 

41. How do you create constants in Go?

Constants are created using the const keyword.

const Pi = 3.14 

42. What is the iota identifier in Go?

iota is a predeclared identifier used to simplify the definition of incrementing numbers in constants.
const ( 

    A = iota 

    B 

    C 

) 

43. What is shadowing in Go?

Shadowing occurs when a variable declared within a certain scope (e.g., inside a function) has the same name as a variable declared in an outer scope, thus temporarily overriding the outer variable.

44. How do you convert between types in Go?

Type conversion is done using the type name as a function.
var x int = 42 

var y float64 = float64(x) 

45. What is the panic function in Go?

The panic function stops the normal execution of a program and begins panicking, which can be caught by a recover function to handle errors gracefully. 

46. What is a rune in Go?

A rune is an alias for int32 and represents a Unicode code point. It is used for characters and symbols.

47. How do you check the length of a slice or string in Go?

The len function is used to determine the length of slices, arrays, and strings.
length := len(slice) 

48. How do you read and write files in Go?

The os and io/ioutil packages provide functions to read and write files. 

data, err := ioutil.ReadFile("file.txt") 

err = ioutil.WriteFile("file.txt", data, 0644) 

49. What is the difference between make and new in Go?

make is used to create slices, maps, and channels, while new is used to allocate memory for a new variable and returns a pointer to it.

p := new(int) 

m := make(map[string]int) 

50. What is the import . syntax used for in Go?

The import . syntax allows you to import a package and use its exported identifiers without a qualifier.\
import . "fmt" 

func main() { 

    Println("Hello, World!") 

} 
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Conclusion

Mastering Golang can open doors to exciting career opportunities in software development, particularly in fields requiring efficient and scalable solutions. By familiarizing yourself with these 50 beginner-level interview questions and answers, you can solidify your understanding of Go’s core concepts and be well-prepared for your next interview. Remember, the key to success lies in continuous practice and exploration of the language. Keep coding, keep learning, and you’ll soon find yourself proficient in one of the most robust programming languages available today. Also, sign up with Olibr to find top opportunities for Golang Developers.  

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FAQs

Golang is widely used by developers in various industries, particularly those involved in backend development, cloud services, and infrastructure tools. Companies like Google, Uber, Dropbox, and Docker use Golang for its performance and reliability.

Some key features include: 

  • Concurrency: Golang has built-in support for concurrent programming. 
  • Simplicity: The syntax is clean and easy to learn. 
  • Performance: Compiled language with efficient execution. 
  • Garbage Collection: Automatic memory management. 
  • Standard Library: Extensive standard library for various needs. 

Some recommended resources include: 

  • Official Go Documentation: Comprehensive and authoritative. 
  • Books: “The Go Programming Language” by Alan A. A. Donovan and Brian W. Kernighan. 
  • Online Courses: Platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and Pluralsight offer courses on Golang. 
  • Community: Join forums, Slack groups, or Reddit communities for support and networking. 

Practicing for interviews can involve: 

  • Coding Challenges: Websites like LeetCode, HackerRank, and Exercism offer Golang challenges. 
  • Building Projects: Create small projects or contribute to open-source projects. 
  • Mock Interviews: Practice with peers or use platforms that offer mock interview services. 

Projects that can highlight your skills include: 

  • Web Servers: Build a simple web server using net/http. 
  • CLI Tools: Develop command-line tools to automate tasks. 
  • APIs: Create RESTful or GraphQL APIs. 
  • Concurrent Programs: Implement programs that showcase Golang’s concurrency capabilities. 

Yes, common pitfalls include: 

  • Ignoring Error Handling: Proper error handling is crucial in Golang. 
  • Misusing Goroutines: Understanding how to manage concurrency effectively is important. 
  • Overlooking Testing: Writing tests is an integral part of Go development. 
  • Neglecting Go Modules: Properly manage dependencies with Go modules. 

While not crucial for beginners, having a basic understanding of the Go runtime and internals can be beneficial. As you advance, this knowledge will help you write more efficient and optimized code. 

Golang is primarily used for backend development. However, it can be utilized in front-end development indirectly through WebAssembly or by generating static assets. Typically, front-end development is done using languages like JavaScript or frameworks like React. 

Best practices include: 

  • Consistent Formatting: Use gofmt to format your code. 
  • Write Idiomatic Go: Follow Go conventions and idioms. 
  • Effective Error Handling: Handle errors gracefully and consistently. 
  • Documentation: Write clear and concise comments and documentation. 
  • Testing: Regularly write and run tests to ensure code quality. 

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