Stage 1 · Code
Programming Foundations (Go)
Start from your first line of Go and grow into a confident programmer who can build, test, and ship useful tools.
8 modules49 lessons5.8h of reading49/49 live today
Prerequisite
None — start here if you've never written a program.
What this course leaves you with
- Read and write real programs in Go
- Understand functions, types, and control flow
- Ship your first command-line tool
GoProgrammingCLIBeginner
Why this stage matters — You can write code — now solve hard algorithmic problems.
Progress
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01
6 lessons
Getting Started
Set up the Go toolchain and learn the basic workflow for writing and running programs.
- 01What Programming IsUnderstand source code, compilers, interpreters, terminals, and how Go turns instructions into programs.6 min
- 02Installing GoInstall Go with the official installer, verify GOPATH and GOROOT, and check your setup with go version.6 min
- 03Hello, WorldCreate package main, import fmt, define func main, and print output with fmt.Println.5 min
- 04go run and go buildUse go run for quick feedback, go build for binaries, and understand where executables are written.7 min
- 05The Go ToolchainExplore gofmt, go doc, go env, go help, and the standard commands every Go developer uses daily.7 min
- 06Editor SetupConfigure VS Code or GoLand with gopls, formatting on save, diagnostics, and integrated terminal tasks.6 min
02
6 lessons
Variables, Types & Control Flow
Learn how Go stores values, makes decisions, and repeats work with predictable syntax.
- 01Declaring VariablesUse var, short declarations, assignment, scope, and naming conventions in small Go programs.6 min
- 02Basic TypesWork with string, bool, int, float64, rune, byte, and explicit conversions between numeric types.7 min
- 03Constants & Zero ValuesUse const, iota, untyped constants, and Go zero values for safe default initialization.7 min
- 04Operators & ExpressionsCombine arithmetic, comparison, logical, and string operators while avoiding integer division surprises.6 min
- 05if and switchWrite if statements, initialization clauses, switch cases, fallthrough, and type-free condition checks.7 min
- 06for LoopsUse counted loops, while-style loops, range loops, break, continue, and nested iteration.7 min
03
6 lessons
Functions & Composite Types
Organize behavior with functions and model data with Go's core collection types.
- 01Defining FunctionsDeclare functions with parameters, return values, package-level visibility, and clear call sites.6 min
- 02Multiple ReturnsReturn values and errors together, use named returns carefully, and ignore results with the blank identifier.7 min
- 03Arrays & SlicesCompare arrays and slices, use append, len, cap, slicing expressions, and copy safely.8 min
- 04MapsCreate map keys and values, check presence with comma ok, delete entries, and range over unordered data.7 min
- 05StructsDefine structs, initialize fields, embed structs, and model records without classes.7 min
- 06Data Modeling PracticeBuild a small contact list using slices, maps, structs, helper functions, and table-driven examples.8 min
04
6 lessons
Methods, Interfaces & Errors
Connect data and behavior while handling failure in idiomatic Go.
- 01PointersUse pointer values, address operators, dereferencing, nil checks, and mutation through shared references.8 min
- 02MethodsAttach methods to types, choose value or pointer receivers, and design simple APIs around structs.7 min
- 03InterfacesDefine small interfaces, satisfy them implicitly, and use io.Reader and fmt.Stringer as real examples.8 min
- 04Error ValuesCreate errors with errors.New and fmt.Errorf, wrap with %w, and inspect failures with errors.Is.8 min
- 05panic and recoverUnderstand when panic is appropriate, how defer runs, and why recover is not normal control flow.6 min
- 06Interface PracticeWrite a logger and storage abstraction using interfaces, mock implementations, and explicit error returns.8 min
05
6 lessons
Packages, Modules & Concurrency Intro
Structure larger programs, reuse standard libraries, and meet Go's concurrency model.
- 01Packages & ImportsSplit code into packages, use exported identifiers, organize internal folders, and avoid import cycles.7 min
- 02Go ModulesCreate go.mod with go mod init, add dependencies, tidy modules, and read go.sum checksums.8 min
- 03Standard Library TourUse strings, strconv, time, os, io, net/http, and encoding/json for everyday programming tasks.8 min
- 04GoroutinesStart concurrent work with go statements, observe scheduling, and wait safely with sync.WaitGroup.7 min
- 05ChannelsSend and receive values, close channels, range over results, and avoid deadlocks in small programs.8 min
- 06Concurrency BoundariesUse context.Context, cancellation, timeouts, and the race detector with go test -race.8 min
06
6 lessons
Your First Real Program
Build a practical command-line application from input parsing through release-ready binary.
- 01CLI Project PlanDesign a task tracker CLI with commands, flags, files, and a minimal package structure.6 min
- 02Reading InputRead command-line arguments with os.Args, scan stdin with bufio.Scanner, and validate user input.7 min
- 03Working with FilesUse os.ReadFile, os.WriteFile, file permissions, paths, and error handling for local persistence.8 min
- 04JSON StorageSerialize structs with encoding/json, handle MarshalIndent, Decode, field tags, and corrupt data errors.8 min
- 05Unit Testing BasicsWrite tests with testing.T, table-driven cases, temporary directories, and go test ./....8 min
- 06Build & Ship a BinaryCompile with go build, set GOOS and GOARCH, add version flags, and distribute a single executable.7 min
07
6 lessons
Testing & Debugging in Go
Use Go's testing, debugging, profiling, and logging tools to find defects quickly.
- 01Subtests, Coverage & BenchmarksUse go test with t.Run, -coverprofile, go tool cover, and benchmark functions for measurable feedback.8 min
- 02Table-Driven TestsStructure test cases with input structs, expected values, names, helpers, and clear failure messages.7 min
- 03Delve DebuggerDebug Go programs with dlv breakpoints, stack frames, variables, goroutines, and conditional stepping.8 min
- 04Race DetectorFind unsafe shared memory with go test -race, sync.Mutex, atomic operations, and reproducible concurrency tests.7 min
- 05pprof BasicsCollect CPU, heap, goroutine, and block profiles with net/http/pprof and go tool pprof.8 min
- 06Debugging With LogsUse log/slog fields, levels, request IDs, and temporary trace points without hiding root causes.6 min
08
7 lessons
Capstone — Ship a Real Tool
Design, build, release, and document a small Go service or command-line tool.
- 01Capstone ScopeChoose an HTTP JSON service or CLI, define users, commands, endpoints, data shapes, and acceptance checks.6 min
- 02Project LayoutOrganize cmd, internal packages, tests, go.mod, Makefile targets, and simple build scripts.7 min
- 03Flags & Environment ConfigLoad configuration with flag, os.LookupEnv, defaults, validation, and clear startup error messages.7 min
- 04Graceful ShutdownHandle os.Signal, context cancellation, http.Server Shutdown, worker cleanup, and timeout budgets.8 min
- 05Cross-Compile ReleasesBuild release binaries with GOOS, GOARCH, ldflags version metadata, checksums, and archive names.7 min
- 06Publish & DistributeTag a GitHub release, automate it with Actions, and let users install via go install or a Homebrew tap.8 min
- 07README for ToolsDocument install steps, usage examples, configuration, troubleshooting, and release notes for real users.6 min