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GO POINTERS

Core Concept: Pointers hold memory addresses, enabling modification of values without copying.

Why It Matters

Control whether functions modify original values. Required for understanding Go's method receivers and memory model.

When to Use

✅ Use when:

• Need to modify original value
• Large structs (avoid copy overhead)
• Optional values (nil)

❌ Don't use when:

• Small types (int, bool, string)
• Can use value semantics

vs Java References

Unlike Java references, Go is pass-by-value even for pointers. Explicit nil checking required. No pointer arithmetic.

DANGER

Nil pointer dereference causes panic. Always check: if p != nil { *p = 5 } ```

Trade-offs

Pros: Direct mutation, memory efficiency
Cons: Complexity, nil panics, shared mutable state

To understand why pointers are passed by value, see go_pass_by_value.

Quick Reference

// Declare pointer
var p *int

// Get address
x := 42
p = &x

// Dereference (access/modify value)
*p = 100  // x is now 100

// Pass to function
func modify(p *int) { *p = 50 }
modify(&x)

Operation	Syntax	Purpose
Get address	&x	Create pointer
Dereference	*p	Access value
Pointer type	*Type	Type definition
Zero value	nil	Uninitialized

Examples

EXAMPLE

Modifying struct fields:

type User struct {
    Name  string
    Score int
}

// Value receiver - no mutation
func (u User) IncreaseScoreWrong(points int) {
    u.Score += points  // Only modifies copy
}

// Pointer receiver - mutates original
func (u *User) IncreaseScore(points int) {
    u.Score += points  // Modifies original
}

user := User{Name: "Alice", Score: 10}
user.IncreaseScoreWrong(5)
fmt.Println(user.Score)  // 10 (unchanged)

user.IncreaseScore(5)
fmt.Println(user.Score)  // 15 (changed)

Optional values with nil:

func findUser(id int) *User {
    if id < 0 {
        return nil  // Not found
    }
    return &User{Name: "Alice"}
}

user := findUser(5)
if user != nil {
    fmt.Println(user.Name)  // Safe access
}

```

References

• Go Tour: Pointers