在Golang中，uint16 VS int，哪个成本更低？

Question

I am using a 64Bit server. My golang program needs integer type.

SO, If I use uint16 and uint32 type in source code, does it cost more than use most regular int type?

I am considering both computing cost and developing cost.

Answer 1

For the vast majority of cases using int makes more sense. Here are some reasons:

1. Go doesn't implicitly convert between the numeric types, even when you think it should. If you start using some unsigned type instead of int, you should expect to pepper your code with multiple type conversions, because of other libraries or APIs preferring not to bother with unsigned types, because of untyped constant numerical expressions returning int values, etc.
2. Unsigned types are more prone to underflowing than signed types, because 0 (an unsigned type's boundary value) is much more of a naturally occurring value in computer programs than, for example, -9223372036854775808.
3. If you want to use an unsigned type because it restricts the values that you can put in it, keep in mind that when you combine silent underflow and compile time-only constant propagation, you probably aren't getting the bargain you were looking for. For example, while you cannot convert the constant math.MinInt64 to a uint, you can easily convert an int variable with value math.MinInt64 to a uint. And arguably it's not a bad Go style to have an if check whether the value you're trying to assign is valid for your program.

Unless you are experiencing significant memory pressure and your value space is somewhere slightly over what a smaller signed type would offer you, I'd think that using int will be much more efficient even if only because of development cost. And even then, chances are that either there's a problem somewhere else in your program's memory footprint, or a managed language like Go is not the best fit for your needs.