golang interface pointer receiver

The Go programming language allows the use of interfaces, which define a set of methods that a type must implement. An interface pointer receiver is a way to define a method on a type that takes a pointer to that type as its receiver.

Here are the steps to explain the concept of a Go interface pointer receiver:

  1. Define an interface: Start by defining an interface that specifies the method(s) that a type must implement. For example, you can define an interface called "Shape" with a method called "Area() float64".

  2. Implement the interface: Create a struct type that implements the interface by defining the required method(s). For example, you can create a struct called "Rectangle" and implement the "Area()" method by calculating the area of the rectangle.

  3. Use a pointer receiver: To use a pointer receiver, define a method on the struct type that takes a pointer to the receiver type as its receiver. This means that the method can modify the underlying value of the struct. For example, you can define a method called "Scale(factor float64)" on the "Rectangle" struct that scales the dimensions of the rectangle.

  4. Implement the pointer receiver method: Implement the pointer receiver method by using the asterisk () before the struct type in the method signature. This indicates that the method operates on a pointer to the receiver type. For example, the "Scale(factor float64)" method would have a signature like this: "func (r Rectangle) Scale(factor float64)".

  5. Call the pointer receiver method: To call a method with a pointer receiver, you need to use the address-of operator (&) when passing the receiver to the method. This ensures that the method operates on the pointer to the receiver type. For example, if you have a pointer to a "Rectangle" called "rect", you can call the "Scale(factor float64)" method like this: "rect.Scale(2.0)".

By following these steps, you can define and use a Go interface with a pointer receiver, allowing you to define methods that can modify the underlying value of a struct.