In Go, both arrays and slices are used to store ordered collections of values. However, there are some important differences between the two types.
Arrays in Go have a fixed size and their length is part of their type. This means that once an array is created, its size cannot be changed.
Here's an example:
In this example, we declare an array of length 5 and set the first element to 1. Once the array is created, its size cannot be changed.
Slices, on the other hand, are dynamically sized and can grow or shrink as needed. Slices are built on top of arrays and provide a more flexible way to work with collections of values.
Here's an example:
In this example, we declare a slice and use the append() function to add an element to it. The append() function creates a new underlying array if the existing one is too small to accommodate the new element.
Slices also have some additional features that arrays do not have, such as the ability to create sub-slices using the : operator and the ability to share underlying memory with other slices.
Overall, arrays are useful when you know the exact size of the collection at compile time and when you need to have precise control over memory allocation. Slices, on the other hand, are more flexible and are typically used when the size of the collection is not known in advance or when you need to modify the collection frequently.