How to Comment in Golang

Hello, fellow Go programmers! Today, we’re going to explore the world of commenting in Golang. Comments are an essential part of any codebase, as they help us to understand what our code does and why it does it. In this article, we’ll show you how to add comments to your Golang code and explore some of the best practices for writing clear and effective comments. So, let’s get started!

First, let’s start with the basics. In Golang, we can add comments to our code using the // syntax for single-line comments and the / / syntax for multi-line comments. For example:

// This is a single-line comment
func main() {
    /*
    This is a multi-line comment
    It can span multiple lines
    */
    fmt.Println("Hello, world!")
}

This code includes both single-line and multi-line comments. Single-line comments are used to add short, descriptive comments to individual lines of code, while multi-line comments are used for longer explanations or comments that span multiple lines.

But what makes a good comment? A good comment is clear, concise, and adds value to the codebase. Here are some tips for writing effective comments in Golang:

1. Use comments to explain the purpose and functionality of the code, not just what the code does.
2. Avoid redundant comments that simply repeat the code in plain English.
3. Use clear and concise language that is easy to understand.
4. Keep comments up-to-date as the code changes.
5. Use comments to explain any non-obvious or tricky code.

Here’s an example of a well-commented function:

// Calculates the sum of two integers
func add(a, b int) int {
    // Perform the addition operation
    result := a + b

    // Return the result
    return result
}

This code includes a clear and concise comment that explains the purpose of the add() function. The comment also explains the functionality of the code and how it works.

Conclusion

Commenting in Golang is a crucial aspect of writing clean and maintainable code. With the syntax and best practices we’ve explored in this article, you’ll be able to write clear and effective comments that help you and your team understand your codebase. So, let’s get commenting with Golang!