How Can I Create Smaller Go Binaries by Removing Unused Code at Compile Time?

How to Generate Compact Go Binaries at Compile Time

Problem:

Within a Go package used by several users, unused code and strings bloat the size of each utility, despite importing the package with the standard method.

Question:

How can we eliminate unused code at compile time to create leaner Go programs?

Answer:

Contrary to the issue presented, the Go compiler automatically eliminates unreachable code. All code is stored in package files (.a), but the Go tool only includes necessities (specifically, functions and variables that are reachable) from imported packages in the executable binary.

Additional Considerations:

• If an imported package utilizes additional packages, the unreachable code elimination process extends recursively.
• Even if you don't call any functions from an imported package, it can still introduce dependencies that affect the binary size. For instance, importing net/http can inflate the binary by several megabytes.
• The final binary size is influenced by the functions and variables utilized from imported packages. By minimizing dependency usage, you can reduce binary bloat.
• As a statically linked language, Go's executable binaries contain all necessary code and dependencies.

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