The best language is the one that is the perfect compromise between cost, time, and performance, and currently, Go fits this bill. In this article, we’ll discuss why Go is the best language for solving real-world problems.

The Perfect Compromise

When it comes to choosing the right language for a particular project, personal preference doesn't matter. What matters is the desired outcome, toolchain, and programming language. A software engineer needs to make compromises between cost, time, and performance all the time. Therefore, the perfect language is the one that provides the best compromise between these factors.

Go is the perfect compromise. It is a compiled language that offers the ergonomics of simple languages like JavaScript or Python. It provides the advantages of a compiled language with the convenience of an interpreted language. When benchmarked, Go apps often perform better than interpreted languages like JavaScript or Python, while being on par with the developer ergonomics of intermediate languages like C# or Java.

Garbage Collection, But Compiled!

Go's garbage collection process can sometimes eat into its runtime performance, which makes it perform slightly slower than C in performance benchmarks.

However, Go still outperforms interpreted languages like JavaScript or Python, which require their runtime environments to be carried along. In contrast, an implementation in C requires significantly more time and thorough testing, and it requires more tweaks to safely run it on a box or in a serverless environment. Therefore, Go is an excellent compromise between performance and time-to-market.

Structurally Simple

Go lacks object orientation with inheritance, which almost all other languages have. However, Go’s stripped-down object-oriented programming (OOP) approach of using a structure or interface with functions enforces simplicity by design. It’s a perfect compromise between the C language and Java or C#.

Better be Type-Safe than Type-Sorry

Being statically typed improves performance, readability, and maintainability, but it requires more work and potentially reduces developer ergonomics.

Go’s static typing prevents developers from becoming "type-sorry" by enforcing type safety. It's almost as if the inventors of Go foresaw the emergence of TypeScript and developers moving from JavaScript to TypeScript. Go compromises developer ergonomics for better maintainability, making it an excellent choice for large-scale projects.

Err Is Not Nil

In Go, there is no concept of exceptions. Instead, Go's mantra is "You can't just ignore errors." This philosophy is reflected in Go's error-handling mechanism, which encourages developers to handle errors explicitly. By doing so, Go improves the reliability of programs, making it an excellent choice for critical systems.

Conclusion

Go is the perfect compromise, offering a compiled language with the ergonomics of simple languages like JavaScript or Python. It’s an excellent choice for large-scale projects that require better maintainability, reliability, and type safety. By using Go, software engineers can build programs that solve real-world problems more efficiently and effectively.