Convert TypeScript to Go

Convert TypeScript code to idiomatic Go. This skill extends

meta-convert-dev

This Skill Extends

• meta-convert-dev

  - Foundational conversion patterns (APTV workflow, testing strategies)

For general concepts like the Analyze → Plan → Transform → Validate workflow, testing strategies, and common pitfalls, see the meta-skill first.

This Skill Adds

• Type mappings: TypeScript types → Go types
• Idiom translations: TypeScript patterns → idiomatic Go
• Error handling: Exceptions → error return values
• Async patterns: Promise/async → goroutines/channels
• Interface patterns: Structural typing → Go interfaces

This Skill Does NOT Cover

• General conversion methodology - see

  meta-convert-dev

• TypeScript language fundamentals - see

  lang-typescript-dev

• Go language fundamentals - see

  lang-golang-dev

• Reverse conversion (Go → TypeScript) - see

  convert-golang-typescript

Quick Reference

string

string

number

int

int64

float64

boolean

bool

null | undefined

nil

T[]

[]T

Array<T>

[]T

[T, U]

struct { First T; Second U }

Record<K, V>

map[K]V

Map<K, V>

map[K]V

Set<T>

map[T]struct{}

map[T]bool

T | U

interface{}

Promise<T>

chan T

interface X

type X interface

class X

type X struct

enum

const

iota

any

interface{}

any

void

never

When Converting Code

1. Analyze source thoroughly before writing target
2. Map types first - create type equivalence table
3. Preserve semantics over syntax similarity
4. Adopt target idioms - don't write "TypeScript code in Go syntax"
5. Handle edge cases - null/nil/undefined, error paths, resource cleanup
6. Test equivalence - same inputs → same outputs

Type System Mapping

Primitive Types

string

string

number

int

number

int8

int16

int32

int64

number

uint

uint8

uint16

uint32

uint64

number

float32

float64

bigint

*big.Int

math/big

boolean

bool

null

nil

undefined

symbol

any

interface{}

any

any

unknown

interface{}

void

never

Collection Types

T[]

[]T

Array<T>

[]T

readonly T[]

[]T

[number, number, number]

[3]T

[T, U]

struct { A T; B U }

[T, U, V]

struct { A T; B U; C V }

Map<K, V>

map[K]V

Record<K, V>

map[K]V

Set<T>

map[T]struct{}

Set<T>

map[T]bool

WeakMap

WeakSet

Composite Types

interface X { ... }

type X struct { ... }

interface X { method(): T }

type X interface { Method() T }

class X

type X struct

type X = Y

type X = Y

type X = Y | Z

T | null

*T

T | undefined

*T

Partial<T>

Required<T>

Pick<T, K>

Omit<T, K>

enum X

const

iota

namespace X

package X

Generic Type Mappings

<T>

[T any]

<T extends U>

[T U]

<T extends keyof U>

Array<T>

[]T

Promise<T>

chan T

Readonly<T>

Record<K, V>

map[K]V

Idiom Translation

Pattern: Null/Undefined Handling

TypeScript:

const name = user?.name ?? "Anonymous";
const age = user?.age || 18;

Go:

var name string
if user != nil && user.Name != "" {
    name = user.Name
} else {
    name = "Anonymous"
}

age := 18
if user != nil && user.Age > 0 {
    age = user.Age
}

Why this translation:

• Go doesn't have optional chaining or null coalescing operators
• Explicit nil checks are idiomatic and clear
• Zero values (0, "", false) should be considered in logic
• Pointers are used when nil is a meaningful state

Pattern: Array/Slice Operations

TypeScript:

const activeValues = items
  .filter(x => x.active)
  .map(x => x.value)
  .reduce((sum, val) => sum + val, 0);

Go:

var activeValues int
for _, item := range items {
    if item.Active {
        activeValues += item.Value
    }
}

Why this translation:

• Go prefers explicit for loops over chaining methods
• More readable and maintainable for Go developers
• Better performance (single pass, no intermediate allocations)
• Can use generics (Go 1.18+) for reusable map/filter if needed

Pattern: Object Destructuring

TypeScript:

const { name, age, ...rest } = user;
const [first, second, ...others] = items;

Go:

name := user.Name
age := user.Age
// rest requires manual field copying or reflection

first := items[0]
second := items[1]
others := items[2:]

Why this translation:

• Go doesn't support destructuring
• Direct field access is clear and explicit
• Slice operations provide array destructuring
• Manual copying ensures clarity about what's being used

Pattern: Classes and Methods

TypeScript:

class Calculator {
  private total: number = 0;

  add(value: number): void {
    this.total += value;
  }

  getTotal(): number {
    return this.total;
  }
}

Go:

type Calculator struct {
    total int // unexported (lowercase) is private
}

func NewCalculator() *Calculator {
    return &Calculator{total: 0}
}

func (c *Calculator) Add(value int) {
    c.total += value
}

func (c *Calculator) GetTotal() int {
    return c.total
}

Why this translation:

• Go uses struct types instead of classes
• Methods have receiver syntax (c *Calculator)
• Constructor pattern uses New* functions
• Exported/unexported controlled by capitalization
• Pointer receivers allow mutation

Pattern: Interfaces and Duck Typing

TypeScript:

interface Drawable {
  draw(): void;
}

function render(item: Drawable): void {
  item.draw();
}

// Any object with draw() method satisfies interface
const circle = { draw: () => console.log("circle") };
render(circle);

Go:

type Drawable interface {
    Draw()
}

func Render(item Drawable) {
    item.Draw()
}

// Explicit type must implement interface
type Circle struct{}

func (c Circle) Draw() {
    fmt.Println("circle")
}

// Usage
circle := Circle{}
Render(circle)

Why this translation:

• Both languages support structural typing for interfaces
• Go requires explicit types, not object literals
• Interface satisfaction is implicit (no implements keyword)
• Method names must match exactly (case-sensitive)

Pattern: Default Parameters

TypeScript:

function greet(name: string = "Guest", greeting: string = "Hello"): string {
  return `${greeting}, ${name}!`;
}

Go:

func Greet(name, greeting string) string {
    if name == "" {
        name = "Guest"
    }
    if greeting == "" {
        greeting = "Hello"
    }
    return fmt.Sprintf("%s, %s!", greeting, name)
}

// Or use options pattern for complex cases
type GreetOptions struct {
    Name     string
    Greeting string
}

func GreetWithOptions(opts GreetOptions) string {
    if opts.Name == "" {
        opts.Name = "Guest"
    }
    if opts.Greeting == "" {
        opts.Greeting = "Hello"
    }
    return fmt.Sprintf("%s, %s!", opts.Greeting, opts.Name)
}

Why this translation:

• Go doesn't support default parameters
• Check zero values and provide defaults explicitly
• Options pattern for complex parameter sets
• Functional options pattern for even more flexibility

Pattern: Spread Operator

TypeScript:

const arr1 = [1, 2, 3];
const arr2 = [...arr1, 4, 5];

const obj1 = { a: 1, b: 2 };
const obj2 = { ...obj1, c: 3 };

Go:

arr1 := []int{1, 2, 3}
arr2 := append(append([]int{}, arr1...), 4, 5)
// Or clearer:
arr2 := make([]int, len(arr1), len(arr1)+2)
copy(arr2, arr1)
arr2 = append(arr2, 4, 5)

// No built-in object spread; must copy manually
obj2 := struct{ A, B, C int }{
    A: obj1.A,
    B: obj1.B,
    C: 3,
}

Why this translation:

• Go uses append with ... for variadic slice expansion
• Pre-allocating capacity avoids reallocation
• No object spread; manual field copying required
• Reflection can help for generic copying but adds complexity

Pattern: Optional Properties

TypeScript:

interface User {
  name: string;
  email?: string;
  age?: number;
}

Go:

type User struct {
    Name  string
    Email *string // pointer indicates optional
    Age   *int    // nil means not provided
}

// Helper to create pointer
func StringPtr(s string) *string { return &s }
func IntPtr(i int) *int { return &i }

// Usage
user := User{
    Name:  "Alice",
    Email: StringPtr("alice@example.com"),
}

Why this translation:

• Pointers distinguish between "not provided" (nil) and "zero value"
• Helper functions make pointer creation cleaner
• Alternative: use zero values and a separate "set" map
• Consider whether nil vs zero value distinction is needed

Pattern: Union Types

TypeScript:

type Result = { success: true; data: string } | { success: false; error: string };

function process(): Result {
  if (Math.random() > 0.5) {
    return { success: true, data: "OK" };
  }
  return { success: false, error: "Failed" };
}

Go:

type Result struct {
    Success bool
    Data    string // only valid if Success == true
    Error   string // only valid if Success == false
}

func Process() Result {
    if rand.Float64() > 0.5 {
        return Result{Success: true, Data: "OK"}
    }
    return Result{Success: false, Error: "Failed"}
}

// Or use interface with type assertion
type ResultSuccess struct{ Data string }
type ResultError struct{ Error string }

func Process() interface{} {
    if rand.Float64() > 0.5 {
        return ResultSuccess{Data: "OK"}
    }
    return ResultError{Error: "Failed"}
}

Why this translation:

• Go doesn't have union types
• Use struct with discriminator field (Success bool)
• Interface{} with type assertion for true sum types
• Consider if error return pattern is more idiomatic

Pattern: String Interpolation

TypeScript:

const name = "Alice";
const age = 30;
const message = `Hello, ${name}! You are ${age} years old.`;

Go:

name := "Alice"
age := 30
message := fmt.Sprintf("Hello, %s! You are %d years old.", name, age)

Why this translation:

• Go uses fmt.Sprintf for string formatting
• Printf-style format verbs (%s, %d, %v, etc.)
• Type-safe at runtime, not compile-time
• Alternative: strings.Builder for complex concatenation

Error Handling

TypeScript Exception Model → Go Error Return Model

TypeScript:

function parseConfig(path: string): Config {
  if (!fs.existsSync(path)) {
    throw new Error(`Config file not found: ${path}`);
  }

  const content = fs.readFileSync(path, 'utf-8');

  try {
    return JSON.parse(content);
  } catch (e) {
    throw new Error(`Failed to parse config: ${e.message}`);
  }
}

// Usage
try {
  const config = parseConfig("config.json");
  console.log(config);
} catch (err) {
  console.error("Error:", err.message);
}

Go:

func ParseConfig(path string) (*Config, error) {
    if _, err := os.Stat(path); os.IsNotExist(err) {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("config file not found: %s", path)
    }

    content, err := os.ReadFile(path)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read config: %w", err)
    }

    var config Config
    if err := json.Unmarshal(content, &config); err != nil {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse config: %w", err)
    }

    return &config, nil
}

// Usage
config, err := ParseConfig("config.json")
if err != nil {
    log.Printf("Error: %v", err)
    return
}
fmt.Println(config)

Why this translation:

• Go returns errors as values, not exceptions
• Multiple return values: (result, error)
• fmt.Errorf with %w wraps errors (Go 1.13+)
• errors.Is and errors.As for error checking
• Caller checks err != nil after each call

Custom Error Types

TypeScript:

class ValidationError extends Error {
  constructor(public field: string, message: string) {
    super(message);
    this.name = "ValidationError";
  }
}

class NotFoundError extends Error {
  constructor(public resource: string) {
    super(`${resource} not found`);
    this.name = "NotFoundError";
  }
}

function validateUser(user: User): void {
  if (!user.email) {
    throw new ValidationError("email", "Email is required");
  }
}

Go:

// Custom error types implement error interface
type ValidationError struct {
    Field   string
    Message string
}

func (e *ValidationError) Error() string {
    return fmt.Sprintf("validation error on field %s: %s", e.Field, e.Message)
}

type NotFoundError struct {
    Resource string
}

func (e *NotFoundError) Error() string {
    return fmt.Sprintf("%s not found", e.Resource)
}

func ValidateUser(user *User) error {
    if user.Email == "" {
        return &ValidationError{Field: "email", Message: "Email is required"}
    }
    return nil
}

// Usage with type assertion
err := ValidateUser(user)
if err != nil {
    var validationErr *ValidationError
    if errors.As(err, &validationErr) {
        log.Printf("Validation failed on field: %s", validationErr.Field)
    }
}

Why this translation:

• Go uses error interface (Error() string method)
• Custom error types are structs with Error() method
• errors.As for type-safe error checking
• errors.Is for sentinel error comparison
• Wrap errors with fmt.Errorf("%w", err) to preserve chain

Panic vs Error Returns

TypeScript:

// Exceptions for everything
function divide(a: number, b: number): number {
  if (b === 0) {
    throw new Error("division by zero");
  }
  return a / b;
}

Go:

// Error returns for expected errors
func Divide(a, b float64) (float64, error) {
    if b == 0 {
        return 0, errors.New("division by zero")
    }
    return a / b, nil
}

// Panic only for programmer errors (bugs)
func DivideMustNotBeZero(a, b float64) float64 {
    if b == 0 {
        panic("division by zero - caller error")
    }
    return a / b
}

Why this translation:

• Go distinguishes expected errors (return) from bugs (panic)
• Use error returns for conditions caller should handle
• Use panic for programmer errors / assertions
• recover() can catch panics (similar to catch) but rarely used
• Idiomatic Go: errors are values, not exceptions

Concurrency Patterns

Promise → Goroutines with Channels

TypeScript:

async function fetchUser(id: string): Promise<User> {
  const response = await fetch(`/users/${id}`);
  return response.json();
}

// Usage
const user = await fetchUser("123");
console.log(user);

Go:

func FetchUser(id string) (*User, error) {
    resp, err := http.Get(fmt.Sprintf("/users/%s", id))
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    var user User
    if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&user); err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    return &user, nil
}

// Usage (synchronous)
user, err := FetchUser("123")
if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}
fmt.Println(user)

// Or asynchronous with goroutine
func FetchUserAsync(id string) <-chan *User {
    ch := make(chan *User, 1)
    go func() {
        user, err := FetchUser(id)
        if err != nil {
            log.Printf("Error: %v", err)
            close(ch)
            return
        }
        ch <- user
    }()
    return ch
}

// Usage
userChan := FetchUserAsync("123")
user := <-userChan // Wait for result

Why this translation:

• Go uses goroutines (lightweight threads) for concurrency
• Channels communicate between goroutines
• Synchronous by default; explicit goroutines for async
• defer ensures cleanup (like finally)
• Error handling remains explicit

Promise.all → WaitGroup or Channels

TypeScript:

const [users, posts, comments] = await Promise.all([
  fetchUsers(),
  fetchPosts(),
  fetchComments()
]);

Go:

// Using WaitGroup
var wg sync.WaitGroup
var users []User
var posts []Post
var comments []Comment
var mu sync.Mutex // Protect shared state if needed
var errs []error

wg.Add(3)

go func() {
    defer wg.Done()
    u, err := FetchUsers()
    if err != nil {
        mu.Lock()
        errs = append(errs, err)
        mu.Unlock()
        return
    }
    mu.Lock()
    users = u
    mu.Unlock()
}()

go func() {
    defer wg.Done()
    p, err := FetchPosts()
    if err != nil {
        mu.Lock()
        errs = append(errs, err)
        mu.Unlock()
        return
    }
    mu.Lock()
    posts = p
    mu.Unlock()
}()

go func() {
    defer wg.Done()
    c, err := FetchComments()
    if err != nil {
        mu.Lock()
        errs = append(errs, err)
        mu.Unlock()
        return
    }
    mu.Lock()
    comments = c
    mu.Unlock()
}()

wg.Wait()

if len(errs) > 0 {
    // Handle errors
}

// Or using channels (cleaner)
type Result struct {
    Users    []User
    Posts    []Post
    Comments []Comment
}

func FetchAll() (*Result, error) {
    usersCh := make(chan []User, 1)
    postsCh := make(chan []Post, 1)
    commentsCh := make(chan []Comment, 1)
    errCh := make(chan error, 3)

    go func() {
        users, err := FetchUsers()
        if err != nil {
            errCh <- err
            return
        }
        usersCh <- users
    }()

    go func() {
        posts, err := FetchPosts()
        if err != nil {
            errCh <- err
            return
        }
        postsCh <- posts
    }()

    go func() {
        comments, err := FetchComments()
        if err != nil {
            errCh <- err
            return
        }
        commentsCh <- comments
    }()

    result := &Result{}
    for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
        select {
        case users := <-usersCh:
            result.Users = users
        case posts := <-postsCh:
            result.Posts = posts
        case comments := <-commentsCh:
            result.Comments = comments
        case err := <-errCh:
            return nil, err
        }
    }

    return result, nil
}

Why this translation:

• sync.WaitGroup waits for multiple goroutines
• Channels communicate results between goroutines
• select statement waits on multiple channels
• Explicit error handling for each operation
• Consider errgroup package for cleaner error handling

Async/Await → Goroutines

TypeScript:

async function processItems(items: string[]): Promise<string[]> {
  const results: string[] = [];

  for (const item of items) {
    const result = await processItem(item);
    results.push(result);
  }

  return results;
}

Go:

// Sequential (like await)
func ProcessItems(items []string) ([]string, error) {
    results := make([]string, 0, len(items))

    for _, item := range items {
        result, err := ProcessItem(item)
        if err != nil {
            return nil, err
        }
        results = append(results, result)
    }

    return results, nil
}

// Concurrent (parallel processing)
func ProcessItemsConcurrent(items []string) ([]string, error) {
    results := make([]string, len(items))
    errCh := make(chan error, len(items))
    var wg sync.WaitGroup

    for i, item := range items {
        wg.Add(1)
        go func(index int, item string) {
            defer wg.Done()
            result, err := ProcessItem(item)
            if err != nil {
                errCh <- err
                return
            }
            results[index] = result
        }(i, item)
    }

    wg.Wait()
    close(errCh)

    if len(errCh) > 0 {
        return nil, <-errCh
    }

    return results, nil
}

Why this translation:

• Go doesn't have async/await keywords
• Sequential code is default (like synchronous)
• Use goroutines explicitly for concurrency
• Channels or WaitGroup coordinate goroutines
• More control over concurrency patterns

Event Emitters → Channels

TypeScript:

import { EventEmitter } from 'events';

const emitter = new EventEmitter();

emitter.on('data', (value: number) => {
  console.log('Received:', value);
});

emitter.emit('data', 42);

Go:

// Channel-based pub/sub
type EventBus struct {
    subscribers []chan int
    mu          sync.RWMutex
}

func NewEventBus() *EventBus {
    return &EventBus{
        subscribers: make([]chan int, 0),
    }
}

func (eb *EventBus) Subscribe() <-chan int {
    eb.mu.Lock()
    defer eb.mu.Unlock()

    ch := make(chan int, 10) // buffered
    eb.subscribers = append(eb.subscribers, ch)
    return ch
}

func (eb *EventBus) Publish(value int) {
    eb.mu.RLock()
    defer eb.mu.RUnlock()

    for _, ch := range eb.subscribers {
        ch <- value
    }
}

// Usage
bus := NewEventBus()
dataCh := bus.Subscribe()

go func() {
    for value := range dataCh {
        fmt.Println("Received:", value)
    }
}()

bus.Publish(42)

Why this translation:

• Go uses channels for message passing
• Explicit subscriber management
• Type-safe channels (type per channel)
• Consider existing packages (e.g., EventBus libraries)
• Goroutines handle async listeners

Common Pitfalls

1. Ignoring Error Returns

Problem:

// ❌ Ignoring error return
user, _ := FetchUser("123")
fmt.Println(user.Name) // Potential nil pointer dereference!

Solution:

// ✓ Always check errors
user, err := FetchUser("123")
if err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("failed to fetch user: %w", err)
}
fmt.Println(user.Name)

Why:

• Go conventions require explicit error handling
• Ignoring errors leads to runtime panics
• Use linters (errcheck, golangci-lint) to catch

2. Using Pointers When Not Needed

Problem:

// ❌ Unnecessary pointer
func Double(n *int) *int {
    result := *n * 2
    return &result
}

Solution:

// ✓ Pass by value for small types
func Double(n int) int {
    return n * 2
}

Why:

• Small types (int, bool, small structs) are efficient by value
• Pointers add indirection and nil checks
• Use pointers for: large structs, mutation, or optional values

3. Modifying Loop Variables in Goroutines

Problem:

// ❌ Loop variable capture bug
for _, item := range items {
    go func() {
        process(item) // All goroutines see last item!
    }()
}

Solution:

// ✓ Pass variable as parameter or shadow it
for _, item := range items {
    item := item // shadow
    go func() {
        process(item)
    }()
}

// Or pass as parameter
for _, item := range items {
    go func(i string) {
        process(i)
    }(item)
}

Why:

• Loop variable is reused across iterations
• Goroutines capture variable reference, not value
• Fixed in Go 1.22+ with per-iteration variables

4. Not Closing Channels

Problem:

// ❌ Channel never closed
ch := make(chan int)
go func() {
    for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
        ch <- i
    }
    // Never closes!
}()

for val := range ch {
    fmt.Println(val) // Hangs after 10 values
}

Solution:

// ✓ Close channel when done
ch := make(chan int)
go func() {
    defer close(ch)
    for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
        ch <- i
    }
}()

for val := range ch {
    fmt.Println(val)
}

Why:

• range on channel blocks until closed
• close() signals no more values coming
• Only sender should close (not receiver)

5. Misunderstanding Zero Values

Problem:

// TypeScript: undefined check
if (user.age !== undefined) {
  // age was explicitly set
}

// ❌ Go: can't distinguish zero value from explicit zero
if user.Age != 0 {
    // Could be unset OR explicitly set to 0!
}

Solution:

// ✓ Use pointers for optional values
type User struct {
    Name string
    Age  *int // nil means not set, 0 means explicitly zero
}

if user.Age != nil {
    fmt.Println(*user.Age)
}

Why:

• Go initializes all variables to zero values
• Can't distinguish "not set" from "set to zero"
• Use pointers when distinction matters

6. Forgetting defer for Cleanup

Problem:

// ❌ Manual cleanup easy to forget
file, err := os.Open("file.txt")
if err != nil {
    return err
}
// ... lots of code ...
if someError {
    return someError // Forgot to close file!
}
file.Close()

Solution:

// ✓ defer ensures cleanup
file, err := os.Open("file.txt")
if err != nil {
    return err
}
defer file.Close() // Always runs before function returns

// ... code can return anywhere ...

Why:

• defer guarantees cleanup on all return paths
• Executes in LIFO order
• Common for: files, mutexes, database connections

7. Copying Mutexes

Problem:

// ❌ Copying struct with mutex
type Counter struct {
    mu    sync.Mutex
    count int
}

func (c Counter) Inc() { // Value receiver copies mutex!
    c.mu.Lock()
    defer c.mu.Unlock()
    c.count++
}

Solution:

// ✓ Pointer receiver for structs with mutexes
func (c *Counter) Inc() {
    c.mu.Lock()
    defer c.mu.Unlock()
    c.count++
}

Why:

• Copying a locked mutex is undefined behavior
• sync types (Mutex, WaitGroup, etc.) must not be copied
• Use pointer receivers for types with sync primitives

8. Interface nil Confusion

Problem:

// ❌ Interface containing nil pointer isn't nil!
var p *User = nil
var i interface{} = p
if i != nil {
    fmt.Println("Not nil!") // This prints!
}

Solution:

// ✓ Check for nil before assigning to interface
var p *User = nil
if p != nil {
    i = p
} else {
    i = nil // Or don't assign
}

// Or use typed nil check
var i interface{} = (*User)(nil)
if i == nil || i.(*User) == nil {
    // Actually nil
}

Why:

• Interface stores (type, value) pair
• (type=*User, value=nil) != (type=nil, value=nil)
• Common source of bugs in error returns

Tooling

Conversion Tools

Go Development Tools

go fmt

goimports

golangci-lint

go vet

staticcheck

errcheck

go test

go test -race

pprof

delve

Testing Tools

testing

testify

gomock

httptest

go-cmp

Dependency Management

axios

net/http

resty

lodash

express

net/http

gin

echo

jest

testing

dotenv

godotenv

viper

winston

log

zap

logrus

commander

flag

cobra

urfave/cli

date-fns

time

uuid

google/uuid

zod

validator

ozzo-validation

Examples

Example 1: Simple - Type and Function Translation

Before (TypeScript):

interface User {
  id: string;
  name: string;
  age: number;
  email?: string;
}

function findUserByID(users: User[], id: string): User | undefined {
  return users.find(u => u.id === id);
}

// Usage
const users: User[] = [
  { id: "1", name: "Alice", age: 30, email: "alice@example.com" },
  { id: "2", name: "Bob", age: 25 },
];

const user = findUserByID(users, "1");
if (user) {
  console.log(`Found: ${user.name}`);
}

After (Go):

package main

import "fmt"

type User struct {
    ID    string
    Name  string
    Age   int
    Email *string // pointer for optional field
}

func FindUserByID(users []User, id string) *User {
    for i := range users {
        if users[i].ID == id {
            return &users[i]
        }
    }
    return nil
}

func main() {
    email := "alice@example.com"
    users := []User{
        {ID: "1", Name: "Alice", Age: 30, Email: &email},
        {ID: "2", Name: "Bob", Age: 25, Email: nil},
    }

    user := FindUserByID(users, "1")
    if user != nil {
        fmt.Printf("Found: %s\n", user.Name)
    }
}

Example 2: Medium - Error Handling and JSON

Before (TypeScript):

import * as fs from 'fs';

interface Config {
  host: string;
  port: number;
  debug: boolean;
}

class ConfigError extends Error {
  constructor(message: string) {
    super(message);
    this.name = "ConfigError";
  }
}

function loadConfig(path: string): Config {
  if (!fs.existsSync(path)) {
    throw new ConfigError(`Config file not found: ${path}`);
  }

  const content = fs.readFileSync(path, 'utf-8');

  try {
    const config = JSON.parse(content);

    if (!config.host || typeof config.port !== 'number') {
      throw new ConfigError("Invalid config format");
    }

    return config as Config;
  } catch (e) {
    if (e instanceof ConfigError) {
      throw e;
    }
    throw new ConfigError(`Failed to parse config: ${(e as Error).message}`);
  }
}

// Usage
try {
  const config = loadConfig("config.json");
  console.log(`Server running on ${config.host}:${config.port}`);
} catch (err) {
  if (err instanceof ConfigError) {
    console.error("Config error:", err.message);
    process.exit(1);
  }
}

After (Go):

package main

import (
    "encoding/json"
    "fmt"
    "os"
)

type Config struct {
    Host  string `json:"host"`
    Port  int    `json:"port"`
    Debug bool   `json:"debug"`
}

type ConfigError struct {
    Message string
}

func (e *ConfigError) Error() string {
    return e.Message
}

func LoadConfig(path string) (*Config, error) {
    if _, err := os.Stat(path); os.IsNotExist(err) {
        return nil, &ConfigError{
            Message: fmt.Sprintf("config file not found: %s", path),
        }
    }

    content, err := os.ReadFile(path)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, &ConfigError{
            Message: fmt.Sprintf("failed to read config: %v", err),
        }
    }

    var config Config
    if err := json.Unmarshal(content, &config); err != nil {
        return nil, &ConfigError{
            Message: fmt.Sprintf("failed to parse config: %v", err),
        }
    }

    if config.Host == "" || config.Port == 0 {
        return nil, &ConfigError{
            Message: "invalid config format",
        }
    }

    return &config, nil
}

func main() {
    config, err := LoadConfig("config.json")
    if err != nil {
        var configErr *ConfigError
        if errors.As(err, &configErr) {
            fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Config error: %s\n", configErr.Message)
            os.Exit(1)
        }
    }

    fmt.Printf("Server running on %s:%d\n", config.Host, config.Port)
}

Example 3: Complex - HTTP API with Async Operations

Before (TypeScript):

import axios from 'axios';
import { EventEmitter } from 'events';

interface User {
  id: string;
  name: string;
  email: string;
}

interface Post {
  id: string;
  userId: string;
  title: string;
  content: string;
}

class APIClient extends EventEmitter {
  private baseURL: string;
  private cache: Map<string, any> = new Map();

  constructor(baseURL: string) {
    super();
    this.baseURL = baseURL;
  }

  async fetchUser(id: string): Promise<User> {
    const cacheKey = `user:${id}`;

    if (this.cache.has(cacheKey)) {
      this.emit('cache-hit', cacheKey);
      return this.cache.get(cacheKey);
    }

    try {
      const response = await axios.get<User>(`${this.baseURL}/users/${id}`);
      this.cache.set(cacheKey, response.data);
      this.emit('user-fetched', response.data);
      return response.data;
    } catch (error) {
      this.emit('error', error);
      throw new Error(`Failed to fetch user ${id}: ${error.message}`);
    }
  }

  async fetchUserPosts(userId: string): Promise<Post[]> {
    try {
      const response = await axios.get<Post[]>(
        `${this.baseURL}/users/${userId}/posts`
      );
      return response.data;
    } catch (error) {
      throw new Error(`Failed to fetch posts: ${error.message}`);
    }
  }

  async getUserWithPosts(userId: string): Promise<{ user: User; posts: Post[] }> {
    // Fetch in parallel
    const [user, posts] = await Promise.all([
      this.fetchUser(userId),
      this.fetchUserPosts(userId),
    ]);

    return { user, posts };
  }

  clearCache(): void {
    this.cache.clear();
    this.emit('cache-cleared');
  }
}

// Usage
async function main() {
  const client = new APIClient('https://api.example.com');

  client.on('user-fetched', (user: User) => {
    console.log('Fetched user:', user.name);
  });

  client.on('cache-hit', (key: string) => {
    console.log('Cache hit:', key);
  });

  client.on('error', (error: Error) => {
    console.error('API error:', error.message);
  });

  try {
    const result = await client.getUserWithPosts('123');
    console.log(`${result.user.name} has ${result.posts.length} posts`);

    // Second fetch will hit cache
    await client.fetchUser('123');
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed:', error.message);
    process.exit(1);
  }
}

main();

After (Go):

package main

import (
    "encoding/json"
    "fmt"
    "net/http"
    "sync"
)

type User struct {
    ID    string `json:"id"`
    Name  string `json:"name"`
    Email string `json:"email"`
}

type Post struct {
    ID      string `json:"id"`
    UserID  string `json:"userId"`
    Title   string `json:"title"`
    Content string `json:"content"`
}

type Event struct {
    Type string
    Data interface{}
}

type APIClient struct {
    baseURL     string
    cache       map[string]interface{}
    cacheMu     sync.RWMutex
    eventCh     chan Event
    httpClient  *http.Client
}

func NewAPIClient(baseURL string) *APIClient {
    return &APIClient{
        baseURL:    baseURL,
        cache:      make(map[string]interface{}),
        eventCh:    make(chan Event, 100),
        httpClient: &http.Client{},
    }
}

func (c *APIClient) Events() <-chan Event {
    return c.eventCh
}

func (c *APIClient) emit(eventType string, data interface{}) {
    select {
    case c.eventCh <- Event{Type: eventType, Data: data}:
    default:
        // Don't block if no listeners
    }
}

func (c *APIClient) FetchUser(id string) (*User, error) {
    cacheKey := fmt.Sprintf("user:%s", id)

    // Check cache
    c.cacheMu.RLock()
    if cached, ok := c.cache[cacheKey]; ok {
        c.cacheMu.RUnlock()
        c.emit("cache-hit", cacheKey)
        return cached.(*User), nil
    }
    c.cacheMu.RUnlock()

    // Fetch from API
    url := fmt.Sprintf("%s/users/%s", c.baseURL, id)
    resp, err := c.httpClient.Get(url)
    if err != nil {
        c.emit("error", err)
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to fetch user %s: %w", id, err)
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
        err := fmt.Errorf("API returned status %d", resp.StatusCode)
        c.emit("error", err)
        return nil, err
    }

    var user User
    if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&user); err != nil {
        c.emit("error", err)
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to decode user: %w", err)
    }

    // Update cache
    c.cacheMu.Lock()
    c.cache[cacheKey] = &user
    c.cacheMu.Unlock()

    c.emit("user-fetched", &user)
    return &user, nil
}

func (c *APIClient) FetchUserPosts(userID string) ([]Post, error) {
    url := fmt.Sprintf("%s/users/%s/posts", c.baseURL, userID)
    resp, err := c.httpClient.Get(url)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to fetch posts: %w", err)
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("API returned status %d", resp.StatusCode)
    }

    var posts []Post
    if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&posts); err != nil {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to decode posts: %w", err)
    }

    return posts, nil
}

type UserWithPosts struct {
    User  *User
    Posts []Post
}

func (c *APIClient) GetUserWithPosts(userID string) (*UserWithPosts, error) {
    // Fetch in parallel using goroutines
    type userResult struct {
        user *User
        err  error
    }
    type postsResult struct {
        posts []Post
        err   error
    }

    userCh := make(chan userResult, 1)
    postsCh := make(chan postsResult, 1)

    go func() {
        user, err := c.FetchUser(userID)
        userCh <- userResult{user, err}
    }()

    go func() {
        posts, err := c.FetchUserPosts(userID)
        postsCh <- postsResult{posts, err}
    }()

    // Wait for both
    userRes := <-userCh
    postsRes := <-postsCh

    if userRes.err != nil {
        return nil, userRes.err
    }
    if postsRes.err != nil {
        return nil, postsRes.err
    }

    return &UserWithPosts{
        User:  userRes.user,
        Posts: postsRes.posts,
    }, nil
}

func (c *APIClient) ClearCache() {
    c.cacheMu.Lock()
    defer c.cacheMu.Unlock()

    c.cache = make(map[string]interface{})
    c.emit("cache-cleared", nil)
}

func main() {
    client := NewAPIClient("https://api.example.com")

    // Event listener goroutine
    go func() {
        for event := range client.Events() {
            switch event.Type {
            case "user-fetched":
                user := event.Data.(*User)
                fmt.Println("Fetched user:", user.Name)
            case "cache-hit":
                key := event.Data.(string)
                fmt.Println("Cache hit:", key)
            case "error":
                err := event.Data.(error)
                fmt.Println("API error:", err)
            case "cache-cleared":
                fmt.Println("Cache cleared")
            }
        }
    }()

    result, err := client.GetUserWithPosts("123")
    if err != nil {
        fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Failed: %v\n", err)
        os.Exit(1)
    }

    fmt.Printf("%s has %d posts\n", result.User.Name, len(result.Posts))

    // Second fetch will hit cache
    _, _ = client.FetchUser("123")
}

See Also

For more examples and patterns, see:

• meta-convert-dev

  - Foundational patterns with cross-language examples

• lang-typescript-dev

  - TypeScript development patterns

• lang-golang-dev

  - Go development patterns