Go Arrays

How it works

An array has a fixed length included in its type: [3]int and [4]int are different types. Assigning an array copies its elements. A slice is usually more convenient when the length changes, but array copies can be useful when you need independent small fixed records.

Run this Go example

Install Go separately from the official Go downloads and check go version in a new terminal. The reviewed baseline is Go 1.27.3 on Windows amd64; the authored syntax and standard-library APIs require Go 1.22 or newer. Save the complete source below as arrays.go in a learning folder, then run go run arrays.go from that folder. These examples use only the standard library.

Bhylu has no Go browser runner. Apache, MySQL, PHP and the JavaScript or Python playground are not required to run these files. File examples own a temporary directory; HTTP client examples create an ephemeral loopback server and close it. They do not contact an external API.

Download the complete arrays.go · Download all source files with hash checks

For the optional collection download, save download-examples.mjs in a new learning folder and run node download-examples.mjs. A local preview uses node download-examples.mjs http://127.0.0.1:8000/examples/go/. The downloader refuses an existing bhylu-go-examples folder and installs or executes no Go code.

Example

package main

import (
	"fmt"
)

func main() {
	original := [3]int{2, 0, 5}
	copy := original
	copy[0] = 9
	fmt.Println(original, copy, len(original))
}

Expected result

[2 0 5] [9 0 5] 3

Changing the copied array leaves original unchanged because its integer elements were copied. If array elements contain pointers, those pointers still refer to their original targets.