How to Create Struct in Go: Syntax and Examples

In Go, you create a struct using the type keyword followed by the struct name and its fields inside curly braces. Structs group related data together, like a blueprint for an object.

Syntax

A struct in Go is defined using the type keyword, followed by the struct name and the keyword struct. Inside curly braces, you list the fields with their names and types.

• type: declares a new type
• StructName: the name of your struct
• Fields: variables inside the struct with a name and type

go

type StructName struct {
    Field1 Type1
    Field2 Type2
}

Example

This example shows how to create a struct called Person with fields for Name and Age. It then creates an instance and prints the values.

go

package main

import "fmt"

type Person struct {
    Name string
    Age  int
}

func main() {
    p := Person{Name: "Alice", Age: 30}
    fmt.Println("Name:", p.Name)
    fmt.Println("Age:", p.Age)
}

Output

Name: Alice
Age: 30

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes include forgetting to capitalize struct fields if you want to access them from other packages, or mixing up field names and types. Also, initializing structs without field names can cause errors if the order is wrong.

Always use field names when creating structs to avoid confusion.

go

package main

import "fmt"

type Person struct {
    Name string
    Age  int
}

func main() {
    // Wrong: order matters and can cause bugs
    // p := Person{"Alice", 30}

    // Right: use field names for clarity
    p := Person{Name: "Alice", Age: 30}
    fmt.Println(p)
}

Output

{Alice 30}

Quick Reference

Concept	Description
type	Keyword to declare a new struct type
StructName	Name of the struct type
Field	Name and type of each data element inside the struct
Initialization	Use field names for safe struct creation
Access	Use dot notation (e.g., structVar.Field) to access fields

Key Takeaways

Use the type keyword followed by struct to define a struct in Go.

Always initialize structs using field names to avoid errors.

Capitalize struct fields to make them accessible outside the package.

Access struct fields using dot notation.

Structs group related data and help organize your code clearly.