When Should You Use General (int, uint) Types Over Specific (int64, uint64) in Go?

Understanding the Benefits of General (int, uint) Types over Specific (int64, uint64) Types in Go

While it's known that general types int and uint are 64-bit signed and unsigned integers akin to int64 and uint64 and that int is not simply an alias for int64, the advantages and impact on performance remain elusive.

Runtime Performance and Memory Usage

Using general types does not incur any runtime performance penalties. Both int and int64, for example, are 64 bits on 64-bit architectures, leading to similar memory usage and processing speeds. However, it's worth noting that on 32-bit architectures, int and uint are 32 bits, highlighting their platform dependency.

Compiler Treatment

The compiler handles general and specific types differently. Since int and uint are word-sized, they align precisely with the underlying machine architecture. This optimization can lead to more efficient memory access and processing operations. In contrast, specific types like int64 may require explicit conversions when used in operations with mixed types, potentially impacting performance slightly.

Guidelines

As a general best practice, unless specific precision requirements dictate otherwise, it's advisable to use datatypes that align with the word size of the current architecture. This strategy provides subtly improved performance and code clarity by eliminating the need for unnecessary type conversions.

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