Go Keywords

Keywords are reserved words that have predefined meanings in the Go language. They are used to define the structure and behaviour of a program, such as declaring variables, creating functions, controlling program flow and importing packages.

Since keywords are reserved by the language, they cannot be used as identifiers for variables, functions, constants or other program elements.

package main
import "fmt"

func main() {
	var name = "David"
	fmt.Println(name)
}

Output

David

Explanation:

package defines the package name.
import includes external packages in the program.
func is used to define a function and var is used to declare a variable.

Using a Keyword as an Identifier

Keywords cannot be used as variable names or other identifiers.

package main

func main() {
	var default = "Go"
}

Output

ERROR!
# command-line-arguments
/tmp/p7MPl0eEgf/main.go:4:6: syntax error: unexpected default, expected name

Explanation: default is a Go keyword, so it cannot be used as a variable name.

List of Go Keywords

Go currently has 25 keywords:

break	case	chan	const	continue
default	defer	else	fallthrough	for
func	go	goto	if	import
interface	map	package	range	return
select	struct	switch	type	var

Commonly Used Keywords

The following keywords are frequently used in Go programs:

Keyword	Purpose
package	Defines the package of the program
import	Imports packages
func	Declares a function
var	Declares variables
const	Declares constants
if	Executes code based on a condition
for	Creates loops
switch	Selects one of multiple code blocks
return	Returns a value from a function
type	Creates custom data types

Example: This example demonstrates how multiple Go keywords work together in a program.

package main
import "fmt"

func main() {
	const language = "Go"

	for i := 1; i <= 3; i++ {
		if i == 2 {
			fmt.Println(language)
		}
	}
}

Output

Go

Explanation:

const creates a constant named language.
for creates a loop and if checks a condition.
fmt.Println() displays the output.

Keywords vs Identifiers

Keywords and identifiers may look similar, but they serve different purposes in a Go program. The table below highlights the main differences between them.

Keywords	Identifiers
Reserved by the language	Created by the programmer
Cannot be used as names	Used to name program elements
Examples: if, for, func	Examples: name, age, printData

Example: This example shows the difference between a Go keyword and an identifier.

package main
import "fmt"

func main() {
	var age = 25
	fmt.Println(age)
}

Output

Explanation: Here, var is a keyword, while age is an identifier.

Using a Keyword as an Identifier

List of Go Keywords

Commonly Used Keywords

Keywords vs Identifiers

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