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            # A preview of Go version 1

            
            5 Oct 2011

            
            Tags: go1, release

            
            Summary: What the Go team is planning for Go version 1.

            
            OldURL: /preview-of-go-version-1


            Russ Cox


            ##


            We want to be able to provide a stable base for people using Go.

            
            People should be able to write Go programs and expect that they will continue

            
            to compile and run without change,

            
            on a timescale of years.

            
            Similarly, people should be able to write books about Go,

            
            be able to say which version of Go the book is describing,

            
            and have that version number still be meaningful much later.

            
            None of these properties is true for Go today.


            We propose to issue a Go release early next year that will be called “Go version 1”,

            
            Go 1 for short, that will be the first Go release to be stable in this way.

            
            Code that compiles in Go version 1 should,

            
            with few exceptions, continue to compile throughout the lifetime of that version,

            
            as we issue updates and bug fixes such as Go version 1.1, 1.2, and so on.

            
            It will also be maintained with fixes for bugs and security flaws even as

            
            other versions may evolve.

            
            Also, production environments such as Google App Engine will support it

            
            for an extended time.


            Go version 1 will be a stable language with stable libraries.

            
            Other than critical fixes, changes made to the library and packages for versions 1.1,

            
            1.2 and so on may add functionality but will not break existing Go version 1 programs.


            Our goal is for Go 1 to be a stable version of today’s Go,

            
            not a wholesale rethinking of the language.

            
            In particular, we are explicitly resisting any efforts to design new language

            
            features “by committee.”


            However, there are various changes to the Go language and packages that

            
            we have intended for some time and prototyped but have not deployed yet,

            
            primarily because they are significant and backwards-incompatible.

            
            If Go 1 is to be long-lasting, it is important that we plan,

            
            announce, implement, and test these changes as part of the preparation of Go 1,

            
            rather than delay them until after it is released and thereby introduce

            
            divergence that contradicts our goals.


            Today, we are publishing our preliminary [plan for Go 1](https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1ny8uI-_BHrDCZv_zNBSthNKAMX_fR_0dc6epA6lztRE)

            
            for feedback from the Go community.

            
            If you have feedback, please reply to the [thread on the golang-nuts mailing list](http://groups.google.com/group/golang-nuts/browse_thread/thread/badc4f323431a4f6).
	# A preview of Go version 1
	5 Oct 2011
	Tags: go1, release
	Summary: What the Go team is planning for Go version 1.
	OldURL: /preview-of-go-version-1

	Russ Cox

	##

	We want to be able to provide a stable base for people using Go.
	People should be able to write Go programs and expect that they will continue
	to compile and run without change,
	on a timescale of years.
	Similarly, people should be able to write books about Go,
	be able to say which version of Go the book is describing,
	and have that version number still be meaningful much later.
	None of these properties is true for Go today.

	We propose to issue a Go release early next year that will be called “Go version 1”,
	Go 1 for short, that will be the first Go release to be stable in this way.
	Code that compiles in Go version 1 should,
	with few exceptions, continue to compile throughout the lifetime of that version,
	as we issue updates and bug fixes such as Go version 1.1, 1.2, and so on.
	It will also be maintained with fixes for bugs and security flaws even as
	other versions may evolve.
	Also, production environments such as Google App Engine will support it
	for an extended time.

	Go version 1 will be a stable language with stable libraries.
	Other than critical fixes, changes made to the library and packages for versions 1.1,
	1.2 and so on may add functionality but will not break existing Go version 1 programs.

	Our goal is for Go 1 to be a stable version of today’s Go,
	not a wholesale rethinking of the language.
	In particular, we are explicitly resisting any efforts to design new language
	features “by committee.”

	However, there are various changes to the Go language and packages that
	we have intended for some time and prototyped but have not deployed yet,
	primarily because they are significant and backwards-incompatible.
	If Go 1 is to be long-lasting, it is important that we plan,
	announce, implement, and test these changes as part of the preparation of Go 1,
	rather than delay them until after it is released and thereby introduce
	divergence that contradicts our goals.

	Today, we are publishing our preliminary [plan for Go 1](https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1ny8uI-_BHrDCZv_zNBSthNKAMX_fR_0dc6epA6lztRE)
	for feedback from the Go community.
	If you have feedback, please reply to the [thread on the golang-nuts mailing list](http://groups.google.com/group/golang-nuts/browse_thread/thread/badc4f323431a4f6).