In this section, we will learn about the overall functions & formatting of maps in the Golang programming language. So, let’s get started.
What are Maps?
Maps play a very prominent role in any programming language. Hence, Golang is not an exception in any case for that matter.
Maps are known to be the most Ingenious and versatile data structures. Maps in Golang are an unordered collection of key:value pairs.
They are also taken as a reference to hash Tables. Even though Go has multiple ways of creating maps.
Defining Maps?
Defining maps of golang becomes somewhat beneficial & easy when people got to know about the fact that it’s been widely used for its characteristic that it can be retrieved, updated, and deleted as per the requirement with the help of keys.
On the other hand, the maps are also defined as hash maps, hash tables, unordered maps, dictionaries, or associative arrays.
Note: You can simply hire golang developer in order to get the maps in golang code run in the terminal.
It’s also recommended in maps that keys must be unique however values can be changed.
Declaration of Maps in Go.
Now, Let’s quickly take a look at how the declaration of maps will look in VS code editor of Go.
As you can see In the picture below the maps are named “menu” which has cakes, tea, and many cookies keys value init.
On line 9, The syntax to create the maps is mentioned. It also specifies that keys are the type string and values are the arrays of string which are being described with a [] sign.
Although the Go map type looks like this –
Map[KeyType]ValueType
Let’s see the output for the same.
In golang, it’s universal that the positions of key types must be unique. Hence, you can also see in the picture that, the position of key types is changing simultaneously.
As there is only one value for each key, assigning a value to an existing key overwrites the existing value.
Update, Delete under the key: Values In Maps
Now, Let’s quickly take a look at the update, Delete, and Retriever procedure under the key types and value types In maps.
Update/Addition
Any type of addition & Upgdration is very much important and simple in Golang.
Under this procedure, New values have to come in place of Key types. They are not always constant. It has to be unique every time and can’t be used in a recurrence form.
The method/structure of addition is mentioned below –
map_name[key] = value
Let’s take a look with a practical example in code –
Now let’s see the output for the same code.
Delete
In this section, will see how the delete key functions. Delete’s function is the Go’s in build function. It works in a format that if we delete a key, then simultaneously it’ll delete the value itself.
A method for the deletion procedure is mentioned below –
delete(map, key)
Let’s take a look that how it’ll look in VS code installer –
Now, let’s look at the output In the VS Editor.
Hence, as you can witness by yourself that key type value i.e. cake is deleted in the terminal.
What do you mean by New and Makes in Maps?
The developer can easily create a map using the Make & New Function in the Golang Programming language.
The Make and new keywords are Important to be known from the reader’s perspective. So, let’s look at some differences and similarities between them.
Under this method, you just need to pass the value of the maps and later on, It’ll return as an initialized map.
Make in maps = m = make(map[string]int)
| Make | New |
| 1. It allocates the memory. And they Initialize the memory. | 1. It only allocates memory. And they have no initialization of memory. |
Let’s have a better understanding of Makes and new’s with a practical example in VS code Editor.
Let’s see the output for the same.
What is the Difference between structs and Maps?
The basic question that pops up in many readers and developer’s mind is how these two functions are different.
Under this section, we have created a brief difference between the structs and maps. This section makes the reader understand & helps to clear their results.
| Maps | Structs |
| In Maps, All key types has to be of the same type. | In Structs, Values can be of different types. |
| All value types in maps has to be of the same type. | In the case of structs, Values can be used or placed as a mix-matched. |
| In maps, All certain keys are indexed. So, you can iterate them over inside the map. | In the case of structs, keys don’t support structs. |
| Maps are reference types. | Structs are value types. |
| Maps are generally used to represent the collection of certain particular properties. | Structs are generally used to represent a thing with different properties. |
| The developer or the users don’t need to know all the keys in a compiled language. | In the case of structs, You need to know all the different fields at a compile time & duration. |
Hence, after reading this table, we can say that maps are distinctly different from structs by any means.
Conclusion
To conclude the article, we simply concluded that we simplify the concept of maps in the golang programming language. It covers the declaration of maps in Go, updates, and delete functions in a comprehension form. You have also successfully understood the new and make position which falls under the loop.
Afterward, there is a fair distinction between maps and structs is been drawn. I hope this article can make you understand the overall concept of maps in Golang.
Happy Reading!!!
