Go Lang - Hello World

Starting a new language the first example is always Hello World.  Getting going with go-lang is only slightly different.  As of this writing, the current state of 'go-lang' is that you have to build the compiler first, and then write compile and run Hello World.  On UNIX/Linux you can do that pretty easily based on the instructions maintained on the golang.org website.  On windows the GOMINGW  seems to be maintaining good binary compatible version of go built with the mingw compiler collection on windows.

Step 1 Set your environment variables:

E.G. On my windows box I set:

set GOROOT=C:\golang\go
set GOOS=windows
set GOARCH=386

  (look in $GOROOT/pkg for applicable architecture and OS Options)

Step 2 Create a source file in the go language (a go source file):
Use a text editor or write a golang source file:
Sample Hello World GO Language source file:
________________________SOURCE FILE________________________________________


package main

import fmt "fmt"  // Package implementing formatted I/O.

func main() {
      fmt.Printf("Hello, world; from go to ecocrypt.blogspot.com \n")
}

________________________END SOURCE_________________________________________

Save this file to helloworld.go or any filename of your choice.

Step 3  Compile
prompt % 8g helloworld.go

Step 4 Link
prompt % 8l helloworld.go

Step 5 Run the newly created executable:
prompt % 8.out
Hello, world; from go to ecocrypt.blogspot.com

Congratulate Yourself!  You have created and run Hello World in Go.
You should now have a Go compiler successfully installed on your computer.


SOME COMMON ERRORS:
Using the wrong executable to compile go source:
prompt %  8c.exe helloworld.go

helloworld.go:1 not a function
helloworld.go:1 syntax error, last name: main

     This Error is caused because you are trying to compile a go source file with a c compiler.  8c is a c compiler embedded in the go distribution package.

Using the wrong architecture or os settings:

prompt % 8g.exe helloworld.go

helloworld.go:3: can't find import: fmt

Make sure you have set the go environment variables correctly:
Determining the GOOS, and GOARCH can be tricky, you will have to look in:
$GOROOT/pkg/
and there will be a directory of format $GOOS_$ARCH

E.G. On my windows box I set:

set GOROOT=C:\golang\go
set GOOS=windows
set GOARCH=386