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From Java to Go

Course Summary

This course is designed for experienced Java developers who need to transition into the Go (Golang) ecosystem. The course focuses on the "Go Philosophy"—challenging established Java patterns (like heavy inheritance and class hierarchies) in favor of Go’s principles of simplicity, composition, and implicit interfaces.

Participants will explore how to translate Java knowledge of threading into goroutines, replace "Checked Exceptions" with Go’s "Error as a Value" pattern, and move from a heavy Object-Oriented mindset to a leaner, performance-driven approach using structs and composition.

Prerequisites:

To get the most of this session, participants should have:

  • Proficiency in Java
  • Basic comfort with a terminal/CLI and a modern IDE

Purpose
Transition from Java to Go with a focus on Go's simplicity, composition, and implicit interfaces
Audience
Any experience Java users looking to understandand the differences between Java and Go
Role
Java Develoopers | Software Architects | Software Engineers
Skill level
Intermediate
Style
Lecture | Hands-on Activities | Labs
Duration
4 days
Related technologies
Java | JavaScript

 

Learning objectives
  • Adopt the Go Mindset
  • Master Go Types
  • Implement Implicit Interfaces
  • Manage Memory Safely
  • Handle Errors Idiomatically
  • Execute Concurrent Programs

What you'll learn:

In this From Java to Go course, you'll learn:

The Go Philosophy: Unlearning Java

  • Go design principles
    • Simplicity
    • Compilation speed
    • Concurrency
  • Opinionated tooling

Go Syntax and Types

  • Packages & modules (go mod)
  • Variables & type inference
  • Structs (not classes)
  • Functions
  • Methods on structs
  • Visibility (CamelCase vs camelCase)

No Classes, No Inheritance

  • Interfaces in Go (implicit implementation)
  • Composition with embedded structs
  • Interface segregation (done right)
  • Java vs Go Interfaces

Logic, Errors and Memory

  • Error as a Value
  • Memory Management and Pointers
  • Sentinel errors vs wrapped errors
  • errors.Is / errors.As

Concurrency

  • Goroutines vs Java threads
  • Channels and Select
  • Worker pools
  • Context cancellation

Standard Library and Ecosystem

  • net/http (no Spring needed)
  • JSON handling
  • Logging
  • Config via flags/env
  • File & OS APIs

Tooling, Testing & Project Layout

  • go test vs JUnit
  • Table-driven tests
  • Project structure (cmd/, internal/)
  • Linting & formatting

From Java to Go

real world content

Real-World Content

Project-focused demos and labs using your tool stack and environment, not some canned "training room" lab.
expert practitioners

Expert Practitioners

Industry experts that bring their battle scars into the classroom.
experiential learning

Experiential Learning

More coding than lecture, coupled with architectural and design discussions.
fully customized

Tailored Outlines

Once-size-fits-all doesn't apply to training teams. That's where we come in!

Dive in and learn more

When transforming your workforce, it’s important to have expert advice and tailored solutions. We can help. Tell us your unique needs and we'll explore ways to address them.

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