Golang Tutorial for Beginners: Getting Started with Go from Scratch




A complete beginner guide to the Go programming language — installation, setup, and your first Go program.

Golang, also known as the Go programming language, is one of the most popular languages for backend development, cloud-native applications, and DevOps tooling. If you want to learn Golang from scratch, this guide is written specifically for beginners.

This article is Module 1 of the Complete Golang Learning Series. By the end of this blog, you will be able to install Go, understand its core ideas, and confidently write your first Go program.

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Why Was Golang Created?

Before Golang, developers struggled with slow compilation times, complex syntax, and difficult concurrency models. Languages like Java and C++ were powerful but heavy.

Google engineers designed Go with three main goals: simplicity, speed, and scalability.

Why Learn Golang?

  • Simple and readable syntax
  • Extremely fast compilation
  • Built-in concurrency support
  • Perfect for cloud and backend systems
  • High-paying job opportunities

Where Is Golang Used?

Installing Golang

Install Go on Windows

Download the installer from the official Go website and follow the setup wizard.

go version

Install Go on macOS

brew install go
go version

Install Go on Linux

sudo apt update
sudo apt install golang
go version

Setting Up Go Modules

Go Modules are the modern and recommended way to manage dependencies in Go. 

mkdir hello-go
cd hello-go
go mod init hello-go
Tip: GOPATH is outdated. Always use Go Modules for new projects.

Your First Go Program (Hello World)

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
    fmt.Println("Hello, Golang!")
}

Run the program using: 

go run main.go
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go run vs go build vs go install

go run

Compiles and runs the program immediately.

go build

Creates an executable binary.

go install

Builds and installs the binary globally.

Understanding go.mod and go.sum

module hello-go
go 1.22

The go.mod file defines your project and dependencies. The go.sum file ensures dependency integrity and security.

Common Beginner Mistakes

  • Unused variables (Go does not allow them)
  • Forgetting package main
  • Not using Go Modules
  • Expecting try-catch like Java

Best Practices for Beginners

  • Run go fmt regularly
  • Write small programs daily
  • Read compiler errors carefully
  • Follow Go’s simplicity philosophy

What’s Next?

👉 Module 2: Go Language Fundamentals
Learn variables, data types, control flow, functions, and error handling.

This article is part of the Complete Golang Developer Roadmap.
Bookmark this page and continue learning step by step.