CODEWITHSUNDEEP
gocolon-equals
Christian Schlensker
Christian Schlensker

Reputation: 22478

What do you call the := operator?

I was learning about Go and was wondering if there is a name for the := operator. As in x := 4.

The best I can come up with is the "spider face".

Example

enter image description here
(source: buzzfed.com)

Update

The reason I ask is because I'm wondering how you would read the code out loud as in during a pair programming session. It's been brought up that the official name of the operator is the "short variable declaration operator" but this is ironically too long of a name to be used frequently.

How would you read this x := 4? So far I have "ex colon equals four" or "ex spider-face four"? Are there any better ideas?

Upvotes: 7

Views: 1098

Answers (5)

user4466350
user4466350

Reputation:

According to the specification at https://golang.org/ref/spec#Operators, Operators combine operands into expressions., this is definitely not an operator. (if you are unsure what exactly is an operand or an expression, figure out it can not combine. Otherwise, always check the spec https://golang.org/ref/spec#Expressions).

The paragraph about this aspect of the language available in the specification https://golang.org/ref/spec#Short_variable_declarations does not name it.

The same paragraph available in the Effective Go does not name it either, https://golang.org/doc/effective_go#redeclaration

Searching the source, i was available to find how it is defined.

https://cs.opensource.google/go/go/+/master:src/go/token/token.go;drc=master;l=80

I came to the conclusion that it is the define token.

Upvotes: 1

OscarRyz
OscarRyz

Reputation: 199215

What about "declare as" 

x := 4

You would say either: "declare ex as four" or "ex declared as four"

If that's written as

var x = 4

It's also correct

Upvotes: 3

Fred the Magic Wonder Dog
Fred the Magic Wonder Dog

Reputation: 9099

This is just off the top of my head, but I'd call it "instantiate". IMHO, assign is not a good choice as it confuses it with the Pascal assignment operator. Assign is also the verb used for the "=" in go and most other computer languages.

"decinit" might work as a short-hand and that has no other meaning that I know of.

Upvotes: 1

Magoo
Magoo

Reputation: 79983

Assign? Or 'is assigned'. Actually, I'd use 'assign' but I have to type at least 30 characters...

Upvotes: 4

user1804599
user1804599

Reputation:

The Go Programming Language Specification calls the declarations involving := “short variable declarations.” Hence the operator would be called the “short variable declaration operator.”

Upvotes: 7

Related Questions