Go Buffered Channels

Links:

• 103 Golang Index
• Go - Channels

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Buffered Channels

• The channels create above were unbuffered channels
• If the capacity is non zero then it is a buffered channel

  c := make(chan int) // unbuffered channel
  c1 := make(chan int, 3) // buffered channel
  

• In the above example the go routine can send 3 values to the channel without blocking.
• We can say communication over unbuffered channels is synchronous. Hence unbuffered channels are also known as synchronous channels

The sender of a buffered channel will block only when there is no empty slot in the channel, while the receiver will block on the channel when it's empty.

func main() {
    // Declaring a buffered channel.
    c1 := make(chan int, 3)

    fmt.Println("Channel's capacity:", cap(c1)) // => 3

    // spawning a new goroutine
    go func(c chan int) {
        // sending 5 values into the channel
        for i := 1; i <= 5; i++ {
            fmt.Printf("func goroutine #%d starts sending data into the channel\n", i)
            c <- i
            fmt.Printf("func goroutine #%d after sending data into the channel\n", i)
        }
        // closing the buffered channel.
        close(c)

    }(c1) //calling the anonymous func and passing c1 as argument

    fmt.Println("main goroutine sleeps 2 seconds")
    time.Sleep(time.Second * 2)

    // receiving data from the channel
    for v := range c1 { // v is the value read from the channel, it's like using v := <- c2
        fmt.Println("main goroutine received value from channel:", v)

    }

    // A receive operation on a closed channel will proceed without blocking
    // and yield the zero-value for the type that is sent through the channel.
    fmt.Println(<-c1) // => 0

    // Sending a value into a closed channel will panic.
    // c1 <- 10 // => panic: send on closed channel
}

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Last updated: 2022-06-19