Why Can't I Create a Pointer to a Map in Go?

Pointer to a Map: A Misconception

While working with maps in Go, you may encounter confusion when attempting to create a pointer to them. Despite attempts to define variables that refer to the address of maps, errors may arise.

Let's delve into the problem and understand the solution.

Pointers and Maps in Go

Maps in Go are reference types, meaning they store the reference to the actual data. Therefore, accessing a map through a pointer would still retrieve the original map. Attempting to create a pointer to a map is redundant and unnecessary.

The Solution

To work with maps in Go, you don't need pointers. Simply passing the map by value will create a new reference to the original map. This means you can work with the map directly without the need for pointers.

Example

Consider the following code:

var valueToSomeType map[uint8]someType
var nameToSomeType map[string]someType

// No need to use pointers
valueTo := valueToSomeType
nameTo := nameToSomeType

In this example, valueTo and nameTo are new references to the original maps valueToSomeType and nameToSomeType. You can access the maps directly through these new references.

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