Why Does Go Use Pass by Value for Method Receivers?

Understanding Pass by Value for Receivers in Go

While it may seem intuitive to always use pass by reference for receivers in Go methods, this is not the case. In Go, all variables are passed by value, including receivers.

Why is This the Case?

The decision to use pass by value for receivers ensures consistency with other programming languages in the C family. This means that developers can rely on consistent pass-by-value behavior regardless of the context.

Consequences of Pass by Value

Passing a value to a receiver implies that the function operates on a copy of the receiver. Modifications made within the method will not affect the original value, ensuring that the caller's data remains unchanged.

When to Use Pointer Receivers

If a method needs to modify the receiver, it must use a pointer receiver. This is because pass by value creates a copy of the receiver, making it impossible to modify the original value.

Example of Pointer Receivers

The following code shows a pointer receiver method that modifies the values of a struct:

<code class="go">type Widget struct {
    Value int
}

func (self *Widget) Modify() {
    self.Value++
}</code>

Conclusion

Using pass by value for receivers in Go promotes consistency and predictable behavior. For methods that require modifying the receiver, pointer receivers should be used to ensure that the original value is affected.

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