为什么在这里需要分号？

Question

Here is a test Go program:

package main
import fmt "fmt"
func main () {
    ex := "moo cow
";
    fmt.Print (ex)
}

With the semicolon, it compiles. However, if the semicolon is removed, it doesn't:

string.go:5: syntax error near fmt

Any ideas?

---

Update (March 2012): Newer Go releases are able to compile both forms (with and without the semicolon).

Answer 1

From The Go Programming Language Specification:

Elements of a list of statements are separated by semicolons, which may be omitted only if the previous statement:

• ends with the closing parenthesis ")" of a list of declarations; or
• ends with a closing brace "}" that is not part of an expression.