在Go中，将类型名称大写是否惯例？

Question

In most Go programs I have seen, even those that have just one package, the names of types are written with a capital letter, which makes them exported. (Example)

Is this just a convention to make clear that they are types or is there a need for all types to be exported?

Here are some examples:

• outyet
  (This one I added by mistake: NewServer() returns a Server, so it needs to be exported.)
• template

Answer 1

Types can be private.

Having a public function returning a private type however does not work. As long as the type is only used package internally, I keep it private.

EDIT: In your example, Server has to be public because it is returned by public functions and thus used outside the package. The function NewServer returns *Server.

EDIT for new example:

In the new example this is the main package. It can't be imported anyway.