Golang : Build and compile multiple source files

One of the many challenges for new comers to Golang is to learn how to use go install command to compile multiple source files. Most learned on how to compile and build individual files initially and usually hit stumbling block when they want to expand their projects to include additional source code files. Chances are that the source code files are not organized in the proper way.

From the official documentation, it is recommended that new Golang project to follow the open source code style workspace. A workspace typically has :

• src contains Go source files organized into packages (one package per directory),
• pkg contains package objects, and
• bin contains executable commands.

(see more at https://golang.org/doc/code.html#Workspaces )

and source codes files should be placed in the src directory. For example :

MyGoProjects/src/program-name/main.go

MyGoProjects/src/program-name/functions.go

and remember to add the MyGoProject/src to GOPATH.

Once this is done, you can execute the command :

>go install program-name

to build your Golang program. All the source files will now be compiled in object files, linked and finally the binary files will appear in the bin directory.

Reference :

https://golang.org/doc/code.html