Go Optimizations 101, Go Details & Tips 101 and Go Generics 101 are all updated for Go 1.25 now.

Black Friday Special! You can grab 4 "Go 101" books in this bundle on Leanpub for as low as $11.99 for a limited time (It is $57.96 without discount).

const 2

What does the following program print?

package main

const X = 3

func main() {
	const (
		X = X + X
		Y
	)
	
	println(X, Y)
}

Choices:

Answer: 6 12

Run it on Go play.

Key points:
  • Go spec says: Within a parenthesized const declaration list the expression list may be omitted from any but the first ConstSpec. Such an empty list is equivalent to the textual substitution of the first preceding non-empty expression list and its type if any.
  • a local identifier will shadow the global identifier with the same name.

The consntant declaration in the quiz code is equivalent to the following one:

	const (
		X = X + X // here the two "X" are both the global one
		Y = X + X // here the two "X" are both the local one
	)

The local X is evaluated as 6 at compile time, so the constant Y is evaluaed as 12 (also at compile time).

Please note that, the output result was 6 6 when using Go toolchain v1.17-. The bug has been fixed since Go toochain v1.18.

Similarly, since Go toolchain 1.18, the following program prints 0 0. Before Go toolchain 1.18, it printed 1 2 (a bug).

package main

func main() {
	const (
		iota = iota
		X
		Y
	)
	println(X, Y)
}


(more articles ↡)

The Go 101 project is hosted on Github. Welcome to improve Go 101 articles by submitting corrections for all kinds of mistakes, such as typos, grammar errors, wording inaccuracies, description flaws, code bugs and broken links.

If you would like to learn some Go details and facts every serveral days, please follow Go 101's official Twitter account @zigo_101.

Tapir, the author of Go 101, has been on writing the Go 101 series books and maintaining the go101.org website since 2016 July. New contents will be continually added to the book and the website from time to time. Tapir is also an indie game developer. You can also support Go 101 by playing Tapir's games (made for both Android and iPhone/iPad):
Individual donations via PayPal are also welcome.

Articles in this book:

(more are coming ...)