Anonymous vs. Empty Structs in Go Channels: When to Use Which?

Anonymous vs. Empty Structs in Go

In Go, there exists a distinction between anonymous structs and empty structs, which can lead to confusion when working with channels.

Anonymous Struct

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Why Use an Anonymous Struct with a Channel?

Sending or receiving a value on a channel requires a type-safe interface. By using an anonymous struct, you create a channel with the expected type chan struct{}. This allows you to signal information without transferring data.

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Empty Struct

Meanwhile, a declaration such as make(chan struct{}) creates a named struct type, struct{}, which has zero size. It is typically used for signaling purposes when the actual value being sent or received is irrelevant.

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Advantages of Empty Structs

• Zero size, conserving memory.
• Can be used for signaling between goroutines.
• Supports method definitions and interface implementations.
• Can serve as a singleton when a single instance is required.

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