Comparing Go to other programming languages

Go is not perfect, but neither are the rest of the programming languages. This section will briefly discuss other programming languages and compare them to Go in order to give you a better understanding of the choices you have. So, the list of programming languages that can be compared to Go includes:

• C: C is the most popular programming language for developing systems software because the portable part of each Unix operating system is written in C. However, it has some critical drawbacks, including the fact that C pointers, which are great and fast, can lead to difficult-to-detect bugs and memory leaks. Additionally, C does not offer garbage collection; back when C was created, garbage collection was a luxury that had the ability slow down computers. However, nowadays computers are pretty fast and garbage collection does not slow things down anymore. Moreover, C programs require more code for developing a given task than other systems programming languages. Lastly, C is an old programming language that does not support modern programming paradigms, such as object-oriented and functional programming.
• C++: As previously mention, I do not like C++ anymore. If you think that you should use C++, then you may want to consider using C instead. However, the main advantage of C++ over Go is that if needed, C++ can be used as if it were C. However, neither C nor C++ have good support for concurrent programming.
• Rust: Rust is a new systems programming language that tries to avoid unpleasant bugs caused by unsafe code. Currently, the syntax of Rust is changing too fast, but this will end in the near feature. If for some reason you do not like Go, you should try Rust.
• Swift: In its current status, Swift is more suitable for developing systems software for macOS systems. However, I am sure that in the near feature, Swift will be more popular on Linux machines, so you should keep an eye on it.
• Python: Python is a scripting language, which is its main disadvantage. This is because usually, you do not want to make the source of your systems software available to everyone.
• Perl: What was said about Python can be also said about Perl. However, both programming languages have a plethora of modules that will make your life a lot easier and your code a lot smaller.

If you ask my opinion, I think that Go is a modern, portable, mature, and safe programming language for writing systems software. You should try Go before looking for any alternatives. However, if you are a Go programmer and want to try something else, I suggest that you pick Rust or Swift. Yet, if you need to write reliable concurrent programs, Go should be your first choice.

Despite their disadvantages, bear in mind that all scripting programming languages are perfect for writing prototypes and have the advantage that they allow you to create graphical interfaces for your software. Still, delivering systems software in a scripting language is rarely accepted, unless there is a really good reason to do so.