Is the Go language interface a duck type? What is the implementation mechanism of polymorphism?

Go language interface and polymorphism: Distinguishing common misunderstandings

Go beginners often confuse "duck type" and "polymorphism" with Go language interfaces. This article aims to clarify the question "Is the interface mechanism of Go language duck type?", explore the essence of Go language interfaces in depth, and correct some common misunderstandings.

Some developers believe that Go's interface means that functions can only receive objects that satisfy all interface methods. This understanding is not entirely accurate. The Go language itself is not clearly defined as the "duck type" language. Go uses interfaces to achieve polymorphism, but it is different from the duck type in the traditional sense.

The Go language interface is not a simple "duck type". The Go language interface defines a set of method signatures, and any type that implements these method signatures automatically satisfy the interface. This is different from the concept of the “duck type”—“If it calls like a duck and walks like a duck, then it is a duck”. Although the Go language interface mechanism reflects to a certain extent the idea of ​​"if it implements an interface method, it can be used as the interface type", it emphasizes more on the clear definition and type check of the interface rather than just relying on behavior similarity.

It should be noted that some online articles may randomly apply "polymorphic" and "duck type" to the Go language interface mechanism, which can easily lead to misunderstandings. The Go language interface mechanism is a unique feature of Go language. Understanding the interface should refer to official documents and authoritative materials to avoid directly applying the concepts of other languages ​​to the Go language. During the learning process, information should be absorbed critically and the reliability of the information should be verified through multi-party comparisons. Regarding the use of Go language interfaces, Go language specifications and semantics should be strictly followed, rather than based on analogies of "duck type" or other language concepts.

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