Go.mod file
A go.mod file is a Go module manifest that declares the module path, Go language version, and required dependencies.
Go in Action, Second Edition
A go.mod file is a Go module definition file that records the module path, Go language version, and module dependencies.
- How it is used
- Defines a module’s path and requirements for builds and dependency management.
- How deep it goes
- Shows initialization, file directives, versioned requirements, and dependency commands; does not detail the toolchain’s dependency-resolution internals.
- Examples
- Uses a wordcount module and a multi-module API project with direct and indirect requirements.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure it with `go mod init`, `go get`, and `go mod tidy` to establish a module and manage requirements.
Read how Go in Action, Second Edition explains go.mod file →
Go in Practice, Second Edition
A go.mod file declares a Go module's module path, target Go version, and required dependencies.
- How it is used
- Identifies a Go module and records its target version and third-party dependencies during project setup.
- How deep it goes
- Explains how to create and maintain the file, but does not show its literal syntax or dependency entries.
- Examples
- Uses `go mod init hellogo` before creating a small HTTP server, and offers a repository URL path as a shareable alternative.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure it with `go mod init`, `go get`, and `go mod tidy` to initialize a project and maintain dependency declarations.
Read how Go in Practice, Second Edition explains go.mod file →
Learn Go with Pocket-Sized Projects
go.mod is a Go module definition file that declares a module's path and dependency requirements.
- How it is used
- Configures a Go project as a module before application code is written.
- How deep it goes
- Explains creation and module naming, but does not detail dependency declarations or broader file syntax.
- Examples
- Uses hello-world and HTTP service projects initialized with learngo-pockets/hello and learngo/httpgordle.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure a new Go project by creating its go.mod file with go mod init.
Read how Learn Go with Pocket-Sized Projects explains go.mod file →
Related concepts
- go mod initproduced by · go mod init is a Go command that initializes a module by creating its go.mod file with a specified module path.
- go moduleconfigures · A Go module is a versioned collection of related Go packages defined by a go.mod file and managed as a unit for dependency resolution and builds.
- go commandconfigures · The go command is Go’s standard command-line interface for compiling, building, testing, formatting, analyzing, and managing Go programs and dependencies.
- go mod tidyproduced by · go mod tidy is a Go command that synchronizes declared module dependencies and checksums with the packages imported by the source code.
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