Introduction

In the previous chapter, we learned how to use if, if-else, else-if, switch, case, continue, break, and goto in Go.

Go is a strongly typed language, and all data is assigned a type. That type is fixed and can’t be changed. What you can and can’t do with your data is constrained by the types you assign. Understanding exactly what defines every one of Go’s core types is critical to success with the Go language.

In later chapters, we’ll talk about Go’s more complex types, but those types are built on the core types defined in this chapter.

Go’s core types are well-thought-out and easy to understand once you understand the details. Having to understand the details means Go’s type system is not always intuitive. For example, Go’s most common number type, int, may be either 32 bits or 64 bits in size depending on the computer used to compile the code.

Types are needed to make data easier for humans to work with...