Share Go code on GitHub
Programming Snapshot – Go Code on GitHub
© Lead Image © bowie15, 123RF.com
Go makes it easy to bundle universal code into a package and share it with the world on GitHub. Mike Schilli explains the tricks and how to avoid the pitfalls.
Attentive readers of this column will have noticed that the Go listings covered here often reference packages on GitHub, which the Go compiler picks up from there and integrates into the binaries as libraries. But you can't always take, take, take. Instead, let's contribute back! How hard could it be to write your own code and share it with the world on GitHub? Then programmers near and far can use it, saving them the time they could otherwise use to sing the originator's praises.
By way of an example, a simple package that allows a Go application to store the passwords and API tokens it uses in an external file would be useful. These strings should never be part of the code, and not just because the listings are printed here in the magazine. Hard-coded strings are also frowned upon in production releases, because the code is usually openly available in a GitHub repo and automatic installations like to roll out binaries and secrets separately – just as if the user were configuring them manually after installation.
Take a look at the sample application shown in Listing 1, for example. It determines the five most frequently viewed videos on a YouTube channel and requires a secret API key and a channel ID to do so. Instead of keeping strings with secret data in the code, the code calls the Lookup() function twice. It reads a string for the specified keyword from an external humanly readable file (in the example, "youtube-api-key" and "youtube-channel-id") and returns the results to the application.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Kali Linux Waxes Nostalgic with BackTrack Mode
For those who've used Kali Linux since its inception, the changes with the new release are sure to put a smile on your face.
-
Gnome 50 Smooths Out NVIDIA GPU Issues
Gamers rejoice, your favorite pastime just got better with Gnome 50 and NVIDIA GPUs.
-
System76 Retools Thelio Desktop
The new Thelio Mira has landed with improved performance, repairability, and front-facing ports alongside a high-quality tempered glass facade.
-
Some Linux Distros Skirt Age Verification Laws
After California introduced an age verification law recently, open source operating system developers have had to get creative with how they deal with it.
-
UN Creates Open Source Portal
In a quest to strengthen open source collaboration, the United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology has created a new portal.
-
Latest Linux Kernel RC Contains Changes Galore
Linux kernel 7.0-rc3 includes more changes than have been made in a single release in recent history.
-
Nitrux 6.0 Now Ready to Rock Your World
The latest iteration of the Debian-based distribution includes all kinds of newness.
-
Linux Foundation Reports that Open Source Delivers Better ROI
In a report that may surprise no one in the Linux community, the Linux Foundation found that businesses are finding a 5X return on investment with open source software.
-
Keep Android Open
Google has announced that, soon, anyone looking to develop Android apps will have to first register centrally with Google.
-
Kernel 7.0 Now in Testing
Linus Torvalds has announced the first Release Candidate (RC) for the 7.x kernel is available for those who want to test it.