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Go - Methods & Receivers

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Try it: Write func (c *Counter) Inc() and show that it modifies the original variable.

Value vs Pointer Receiver

type Counter int
func (c Counter) Value() int { return int(c) }
func (c *Counter) Inc(){ *c++ }

Guidelines

  • Use pointer receivers to mutate or avoid copying.
  • Be consistent across a type’s methods.
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Common errors

  • Mixing value and pointer receivers on the same type inconsistently.

Practice

  • Add Dec() and Reset() methods to Counter; decide pointer vs value receiver.

Quick quiz

  1. When should you prefer pointer receivers?
Show answer When mutating the receiver or when copying the value would be expensive.