An exciting lesson awaits us, promising a deeper exploration of Go's variables and Boolean types. In earlier lessons, we covered the basics of Go, and now we're going to build on that by exploring how to use Boolean variables. These are simple yet powerful, used to represent a condition or status as either true or false.

In this lesson, we'll define two string variables: each will hold the name of a destination. We'll also explore how to use Boolean variables — a type of variable that can only be true or false, similar to a light switch that can only be either on (true) or off (false). Here's what it looks like in Go:

Go
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1package main
2
3import (
4    "fmt"
5)
6
7func main() {
8    destinationA := "Paris"
9    destinationB := "Tokyo"
10    
11    hasVisitedA := true
12    hasVisitedB := false
13
14    fmt.Println(destinationA, "visited:", hasVisitedA)
15    fmt.Println(destinationB, "visited:", hasVisitedB)
16}

Here, destinationA and destinationB store strings representing travel destinations. On the other hand, hasVisitedA and hasVisitedB are Boolean variables that, like an on-off switch, inform us whether these destinations have been visited.

In Go, Boolean values can be derived from various expressions using comparison operators. These operators compare values and return a Boolean result (true or false). Common comparison operators include:

• == for equality
• != for inequality
• < for less than
• <= for less than or equal to
• > for greater than
• >= for greater than or equal to

Here's how you can use these operators in Go:

Go
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1package main
2
3import (
4    "fmt"
5)
6
7func main() {
8    // Comparing numbers
9    a := 5
10    b := 10
11    
12    isEqual := a == b
13    isNotEqual := a != b
14    isLessThan := a < b
15    isGreaterThan := a > b
16    
17    fmt.Println("Is equal:", isEqual)              // false
18    fmt.Println("Is not equal:", isNotEqual)       // true
19    fmt.Println("Is less than:", isLessThan)       // true
20    fmt.Println("Is greater than:", isGreaterThan) // false
21
22    // Comparing strings
23    name1 := "Alice"
24    name2 := "Bob"
25
26    areNamesEqual := name1 == name2
27    
28    fmt.Println("Are names equal:", areNamesEqual) // false
29}

These expressions are essential for making decisions in programming, enabling you to direct the flow of your program based on conditions.

Understanding variables in Go is an essential skill for any programmer. They enable us to store, retrieve, and manipulate values within our code efficiently. Booleans, meanwhile, allow us to control program flow and make decisions based on conditions. Together, variables and booleans form a powerful foundation for writing dynamic and flexible programs.

Well done on reaching this stage in your Go journey! Everyone here on the course team is proud of your progress and can't wait to see what you achieve next.

Onward to our practice exercises!