Will the Go (Golang) replace C/C++ in the next decade

Blockchain is one of the most revolutionary technologies of the 21st century, but it has not yet realized its full potential. Basically, blockchain is just a distributed database. It is a database that is completely open and held by each participant in the full or partial copy. A new record is created only with the consent of everyone who keeps the database. Because of this, things like cryptocurrency and smart contracts exist.

The potential applications of blockchain technology extend far beyond corporate solutions, covering a wide range of fields, from cutting-edge medical research to environmental protection. Therefore, coders who plan to work with the new technology should master the basic programming languages used in the development of distributed ledger applications.

One of these languages is Golang. Also known as Go, it was developed by a Google team in 2007 to combine the simplicity of Python syntax and semantics with the efficiency of C ++. Although it is not very functional, it is an advanced compiled multithreaded programming language with all the advantages for building distributed systems.

The language was originally developed as a replacement for C++: their performance is almost at the same level, but Go has a simpler syntax, which allows you to develop applications faster, and the creation of websites in golang is a fairy tale. It also makes it easier to read code that has been written by other programmers. Many companies are switching to Go to broaden the range of developers because the language is easy to learn.

Another major advantage is a large number of libraries. With their help, developers can perform almost any task. For many tasks, it is enough just a standard library.

The strategic typification of the language is strict, like in Paskal, for example, but it has a lot of application character, which makes it similar to Python. Go is also characterized by the high performance and lightweight cross-platform nature of compiled languages.

Do not forget about the clear direction of the language. For example, PHP is mainly used for large services, while Go is used for small projects that need to be written very quickly and released, but which must be reliable. Although the language remains universal and can be used for large-scale projects.

There are two important additions to the Go language that make it ideal for beginners:

  • It is a tool that is designed to standardize code;
  • Go vet. A utility for detecting possible problems in the code.

Not many people know how to program in Go these days, but many companies are already starting to use it as a more adequate replacement for C++. These include Yahoo, eBay, Google, DigitalOcean, BBC Worldwide, and many others.

Efficient, fast, and easy to use, Go is flexible enough to handle multiple parts of the blockchain simultaneously.

Some of the best-known applications based on Golang include most of the HyperLedger Fabrics chain code, the Linux Foundation consortium’s large-scale blockchain platform for building enterprise-level business applications. It is one of the most popular smart contract solutions, used by large companies and considered the market standard.

The Potential of the Go Language

Because of its simplicity, the language would be an excellent choice for beginners and beyond. For example, the official manual is 50 pages long. Fast start-up times, the use of memory only when needed (segmented but extensible goroutine stacks) and other advantages make Go extremely popular for multithreaded tasks. It is, without exaggeration, the server language of the future.

However, we can’t say that Go can replace C/C++. For the most part, it is used only in certain areas because of its peculiarities. The only thing that can only slightly squeeze them, mostly in the system and application software, as well as in other things related to communication.

Nowadays, more companies hire Golang developers, and high demand for these specialists can be seen in startups related to cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.