Why is there a package declaration in Go? [duplicate]

Question

Why do we need to put a package declaration in every file in folder to mark the specified .go files as a part of a package?

Instead the directory name itself could be a package name for all files it contains.

So what the ideological point for this decision?

As an example of what @JimB is talking about package import "google.golang.org/api/oauth2/v2" imports the oauth2 package and is used as such: oauth2.New(...). — RayfenWindspear
– RayfenWindspear, Commented Apr 4, 2017 at 20:21
I understand that it is NOT related. BUT my question was not about the current implementation. It is about the advantages of current implementation versus the old one plain directories. — Egor Shalashnikov
– Egor Shalashnikov, Commented Apr 4, 2017 at 21:12
Package main is just as simple as putting your main proc into main folder. — Egor Shalashnikov
– Egor Shalashnikov, Commented Apr 4, 2017 at 21:13

jonrsharpe · Accepted Answer · 2026-06-24 06:01:15Z

0

Instead the directory name itself could be a package name for all files it contains.

Egor, you probably suppose that in one directory go-files only from one package.

You are almost correct if you exclude tests.

Tests are exception from rule "one directory - one package".

edited Jun 24 at 6:01

jonrsharpe

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answered Apr 4, 2017 at 23:51

Alex Yu

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