Variables
Variables are used to store values with specific data types (e.g., numbers, strings, or booleans) in memory for later use.
Difference From Constants
Unlike constants, variables can be reassigned after declaration, but its data type must remain the same as it was when first initialized. For example, an int
variable can start with a value of 2 and be reassigned to 0 (another int
), but it can’t be reassigned as “Codecademy” (a string
).
Syntax
var name type
Variable statements begin with the var
keyword, followed by its name
, and then the variable type
.
Variable names begin with a letter and are case-sensitive. They must not contain special characters, only letters and digits. They must also not be a reserved Go keyword such as if
or for
.
Declaration
There are multiple ways to declare a variable. The syntax is similar to other programming languages.
Initializing After Declaring
This way is used if a group of variables is needed but will be assigned values later in the program:
var numbers intvar nameOfProgrammer stringnumbers = 100nameOfProgrammer = "Codecademy Learner"
Initializing With Declaring
This way is used to assign values directly when defining a variable:
var state bool = truevar nameOfProgrammer string = "Codecademy Learner"
Initializing Using Type Inference
This way lets the compiler assign the type for the input without declaring it:
var piNumber = 3.14var myName = "Abdulrahman"
Fast Initializing
This way skips almost all of the syntax and only needs the name of the variable followed by :=
:
dontMove := false
Multiple Variable Initializing
This way is used to declare multiple variables on the same line. Variables are separated with a comma (,
):
var numbers, name = 100, "Codecademy User"user, activeState := "Abdulrahman", true