Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in Go: A Pragmatic Approach

Go, often praised for its simplicity and efficiency, might not immediately looks like as an object-oriented language. However, Go offers a unique and pragmatic approach to OOP that aligns well with its core philosophies. Let’s get into how Go enables encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism — the cornerstones of OOP.

Embracing Encapsulation with Structs and Methods

In Go, the fundamental building block of OOP is the struct. A struct is a composite data type that groups together related fields (variables) under a single name. This is equal to the concept of an object encapsulating data and behavior.

type Car struct {
    Make  string
    Model string
    Year  int
}

func (c Car) Start() {
    fmt.Println("The car starts with a roar!")
}

In this example, Car is a struct representing a car object. It has Make, Model, and Year fields to hold the car's data. The Start() method is associated with the Car struct, representing an action the car can perform.

Inheritance Through Composition: The “is-a” Relationship

Go doesn’t have traditional class-based inheritance. Instead, it promotes composition, also known as the “has-a” relationship. This means…