---
date: 20200831
id: 7ca10187-82d5-44fb-83a2-aa739c14cb24
title: Golang interfaces
---

# Basics

Go supports method interfaces:

``` go
package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "math"
)

type Abser interface {
    Abs() float64
}

func main() {
    var a Abser
    f := MyFloat(-math.Sqrt2)
    v := Vertex{3, 4}

    a = f  // a MyFloat implements Abser
    a = &v // a *Vertex implements Abser

    fmt.Println(a.Abs())
}

type MyFloat float64

func (f MyFloat) Abs() float64 {
    if f < 0 {
        return float64(-f)
    }
    return float64(f)
}

type Vertex struct {
    X, Y float64
}

func (v *Vertex) Abs() float64 {
    return math.Sqrt(v.X*v.X + v.Y*v.Y)
}
```

Interfaces are implemented implicitly:

``` go
package main

import "fmt"

type I interface {
    M()
}

type T struct {
    S string
}

// This method means type T implements the interface I,
// but we don't need to explicitly declare that it does so.
func (t T) M() {
    fmt.Println(t.S)
}

func main() {
    var i I = T{"hello"}
    i.M()
}
```

# Handy interfaces to know about

## Stringer

``` go
package main

import "fmt"

type Person struct {
    Name string
    Age  int
}

func (p Person) String() string {
    return fmt.Sprintf("%v (%v years)", p.Name, p.Age)
}

func main() {
    a := Person{"Arthur Dent", 42}
    z := Person{"Zaphod Beeblebrox", 9001}
    fmt.Println(a, z)
}
```

## Error

``` go
package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "time"
)

type MyError struct {
    When time.Time
    What string
}

func (e *MyError) Error() string {
    return fmt.Sprintf("at %v, %s",
        e.When, e.What)
}

func run() error {
    return &MyError{
        time.Now(),
        "it didn't work",
    }
}

func main() {
    if err := run(); err != nil {
        fmt.Println(err)
    }
}
```

## Reader

``` go
package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "io"
    "strings"
)

func main() {
    r := strings.NewReader("Hello, Reader!")

    b := make([]byte, 8)
    for {
        n, err := r.Read(b)
        fmt.Printf("n = %v err = %v b = %v\n", n, err, b)
        fmt.Printf("b[:n] = %q\n", b[:n])
        if err == io.EOF {
            break
        }
    }
}
```

## Images

``` go
package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "image"
)

func main() {
    m := image.NewRGBA(image.Rect(0, 0, 100, 100))
    fmt.Println(m.Bounds())
    fmt.Println(m.At(0, 0).RGBA())
}
```