Go Methods

What is a Method?

A method is a function that is attached to a specific type.

In Go, methods are commonly used with structs to define behavior.

Calling a Method

Methods are called using the dot (.) operator on a variable.

This works similarly to calling methods on objects in other languages.

Methods vs Functions

A regular function is not attached to any type, while a method belongs to a specific type.

Methods allow you to group behavior with data.

Value Receivers

A value receiver creates a copy of the struct when the method is called.

Changes inside the method do not affect the original value.

Pointer Receivers

A pointer receiver allows the method to modify the original struct.

This is commonly used when you want to update values.

When to Use Pointer Receivers

Pointer receivers are preferred in most real-world cases.

• When modifying the struct
• When working with large structs (better performance)
• To avoid unnecessary copying

Multiple Methods on a Struct

A struct can have multiple methods, allowing it to have different behaviors.

Real-World Example

Methods are commonly used to model behavior in applications.

Common Mistakes

Be careful with these:

• Using value receiver when you need to modify data
• Forgetting to use pointer (*) when needed
• Confusing methods with regular functions

Practice

Create a Car struct with a method that prints its brand.

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