Go is a statically typed, compiled language designed for efficiency and simplicity. While Go does not support traditional object-oriented programming (OOP) with classes and inheritance, it provides OOP-like features such as structs and interfaces. On the other hand, Go also embraces functional programming (FP) principles, allowing functions to be treated as first-class citizens. This article explores the key differences between these two paradigms in Go and their use cases.
Go follows a unique approach to OOP by using structs, methods, and interfaces instead of classes and inheritance.
structs
to define custom data types.Here, Car
acts like a class, and Drive()
is a method similar to OOP-style behavior.
Go supports functional programming principles by allowing functions to be treated as first-class citizens.
Here, square
is an anonymous function passed as an argument, demonstrating higher-order functions in FP.
Feature | Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) | Functional Programming (FP) |
---|---|---|
Code Structure | Uses structs and methods | Uses functions and closures |
Encapsulation | Achieved via structs and methods | Not explicitly enforced |
Polymorphism | Uses interfaces | Uses function composition |
Reusability | Composition over inheritance | Higher-order functions |
Flexibility | More structured | More modular |
Go is not purely OOP or FP but rather a hybrid language that combines aspects of both paradigms. Developers can choose OOP for structuring large applications using structs and interfaces or adopt FP techniques like higher-order functions for flexibility. Understanding both paradigms helps in writing scalable, maintainable, and efficient Go programs.