Does Embedding Primitive Types Like `int32` in Go Structs Offer Practical Advantages?

Embedding Primitive Types in Go

In Go, it's possible to embed a primitive type like int32 within a struct. But does this technique provide any practical utility? Let's delve into the details.

Can int32 be Useful when Embedded?

Primitive types like int32 don't have any defined methods. This means that they don't offer any additional functionality or operations that can be called upon instances of the embedding type User.

Accessing Embedded int32 Value

To access the embedded int32 value within User, use the unqualified type name as the field name. In this case, it would be int32. The following example demonstrates this:

u := User{3, "Bob"}
fmt.Printf("%#v\n", u) // Output: main.User{int32:3, Name:"Bob"}
u.int32 = 4
fmt.Println(u.int32) // Output: 4

Advantages of Embedding Predeclared Types

While embedding int32 within User doesn't provide any additional methods, it does offer certain benefits:

• Method Promotion: Methods of the embedded type become available to the embedding type, making it easier to implement interfaces.
• Field Promotion: Fields of the embedded type get promoted to the embedding type, allowing for more concise code when referring to them.

Disadvantages of Embedding Predeclared Types

However, embedding predeclared types like int32 also comes with a potential disadvantage:

• Limited Visibility: Since predeclared types start with lowercase letters, embedding them implicitly makes them unexported. This means that these fields can only be accessed within the package where the embedding type is declared.

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