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authorRob Pike <r@golang.org>2009-08-03 14:07:19 -0700
committerRob Pike <r@golang.org>2009-08-03 14:07:19 -0700
commitfe287e79c16cc7f74d35c25202eb4bfe7d97b516 (patch)
tree9a60fa1e773ed09ee10a2a6bf8842dfb2f63e9da /doc/effective_go.html
parentcb9c9738293321bf92a52b107917efe07e2e0245 (diff)
downloadgo-git-fe287e79c16cc7f74d35c25202eb4bfe7d97b516.tar.gz
clean up a TODO
R=rsc DELTA=45 (28 added, 4 deleted, 13 changed) OCL=32673 CL=32675
Diffstat (limited to 'doc/effective_go.html')
-rw-r--r--doc/effective_go.html58
1 files changed, 41 insertions, 17 deletions
diff --git a/doc/effective_go.html b/doc/effective_go.html
index dc49ca9688..5eec23fdfd 100644
--- a/doc/effective_go.html
+++ b/doc/effective_go.html
@@ -2,6 +2,14 @@
<h2 id="introduction">Introduction</h2>
<p>
+Go is a new language. Although it's in the C family of languages
+it has some unusual properties that make effective Go programs
+different in character from programs in C, C++, or Java.
+To write Go well, it's important to understand its properties
+and idioms.
+</p>
+
+<p>
This document gives tips for writing clear, idiomatic Go code
and points out common mistakes.
It augments the <a href="go_spec.html">language specification</a>
@@ -287,11 +295,11 @@ A comment can introduce a group of related constants or variables.
</p>
<pre>
-// Flags to Open wrapping those of the underlying system.
+// Flags to Open, wrapping those of the underlying system.
// Not all flags may be implemented on a given system.
const (
- O_RDONLY = syscall.O_RDONLY; // open the file read-only.
- O_WRONLY = syscall.O_WRONLY; // open the file write-only.
+ O_RDONLY = syscall.O_RDONLY; // Open file read-only.
+ O_WRONLY = syscall.O_WRONLY; // Open file write-only.
...
)
</pre>
@@ -303,9 +311,9 @@ a mutex.
</p>
<pre>
-// Variables protected by counterLock.
+// Variables protected by countLock.
var (
- counterLock sync.Mutex;
+ countLock sync.Mutex;
inputCount uint32;
outputCount uint32;
errorCount uint32;
@@ -357,9 +365,8 @@ the buffered <code>Reader</code> is <code>bufio.Reader</code>, not <code>bufio.B
Similarly, <code>once.Do</code> is as precise and evocative as
<code>once.DoOrWaitUntilDone</code>, and <code>once.Do(f)</code> reads
better than <code>once.DoOrWaitUntilDone(f)</code>.
-Contrary to popular belief, encoding small essays into
-function names does not make it possible
-to use them without documentation.
+Encoding small essays into function names is not Go style;
+clear names with good documentation is.
</p>
<h3 id="interfacers">Use the -er convention for interface names</h3>
@@ -564,24 +571,41 @@ codeUsing(f);
<h3 id="error-context">Return structured errors</h3>
-Implementations of <code>os.Error</code>s should
-describe the error but also include context.
+Implementations of <code>os.Error</code> should
+describe the error and provide context.
For example, <code>os.Open</code> returns an <code>os.PathError</code>:
<a href="/src/pkg/os/file.go">/src/pkg/os/file.go</a>:
<pre>
-XXX definition of PathError and .String
+// PathError records an error and the operation and
+// file path that caused it.
+type PathError struct {
+ Op string;
+ Path string;
+ Error Error;
+}
+
+func (e *PathError) String() string {
+ return e.Op + " " + e.Path + ": " + e.Error.String();
+}
</pre>
<code>PathError</code>'s <code>String</code> formats
-the error nicely and is the usual way the error gets used.
-Callers that care about the precise error details can
-use a type switch or a type guard to look for specific
-errors and then extract details.
-
+the error nicely, including the operation and file name
+tha failed; just printing the error generates a
+message, such as
<pre>
-XXX example here - MkdirAll
+open /etc/passwx: no such file or directory
</pre>
+that is useful even if printed far from the call that
+triggered it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Callers that care about the precise error details can
+use a type switch or a type guard to look for specific
+errors and extract details.
+</p>
<h2 id="types">Programmer-defined types</h2>