Go FAQ needs updates or not?

[Kamil Ziemian]

Hello,

I read Go FAQ again and I'm start to think that few minor things may needs some update. It is only my humble opinion and I'm not even true programmer, only hobbist, so if you disagree, you are probably right.

"What is the purpose of the project?"

This section starts "At the time of Go's inception, only a decade ago, the programming world was different from today." Since first idea of Go is 2007 I guess that was written in 2017. If so it was six years ago and things change during that time, so maybe someone with more knowledge can review this part and say if is "up to date".

"Is Google using Go internally?"

We read here "One easy example is the server behind golang.org.". From what I understand this should be updated to "server behind go.dev".

Best regards,

Kamil

[Kamil Ziemian]

Ok, there is one thing connected to Go FAQ that I don't like. 

In section "When did Go get generic types?" we read "See the language spec and the proposal for details.", where proposal in question is "Type Parameters Proposal" (https://go.googlesource.com/proposal/+/master/design/43651-type-parameters.md). "Type Parameters Proposal" is very good written document, I read it even before Go 1.18 came out, but as Ian Lance Taylor said here when Go 1.18 was released, this proposal is not 100% copatible with Go today. Few changes was done when implementing generics and Taylor said that Go Spec is the document that state how generics must work in Go. I find example of code that is valid in the light of the proposal, but not in the light of Go Spec, but I don't remember it. I propose that disclaimer should be added, for example at the top o the proposal saying something like "This proposal is not 100% compatibile with what was finally accepted in Go. Look to Go Spec for acctual information.".

As a side note, I like Go Spec, but it is not good document if you just want to learn generics. Since they influance dozens of things (functions, methods, iterfaces, you name it), description of them is scattered through all document and I hear from true Go programmers, not hobbist like me, that they have doubts if they understand generics description in Go Spec. I would propose to add some quationary note about that to Go FAQ, but this is only my humble opinion.

Best regards

Kamil

[Kamil Ziemian]

If I can, I want to make another comment about Go FAQ.

In section "Why can't the compiler infer the type argument in my program?" we read

"There are many cases where a programmer can easily see what the type argument for a generic type or function must be, but the language does not permit the compiler to infer it. Type inference is intentionally limited to ensure that there is never any confusion as to which type is inferred. Experience with other languages suggests that unexpected type inference can lead to considerable confusion when reading and debugging a program."

From what I understand this if comment on the situation when we have function `f[T constraint](x, y T)` and we call it like `f(int(1), int(2))` can't infere that T should be a int (maybe it is stupid example, but I only use generics in such obvious cases). If I didn't know generics more I would understand text belowe as saying that code `f(int(1), int(2))` is always invalid and must be replaced by `f[int](1, 2)`. I would suggest to tweek it a bit, to make clear that Go has type inference, only more limited that in other languages.

Of course it is only my opinion.

Best regards,

Kamil