Go Performance: Are 'int/uint' General Types Actually Faster Than 'int64/uint64'?

Performance Implications of Using General Types (int/uint) in Go

Question:

Despite their 64-bit size similarity to specific types (int64/uint64), what are the advantages of utilizing general types (int/uint) in Go? Do they impact runtime performance?

Answer:

• Word size alignment: The general types (int/uint) align with the size of a word on the current architecture (32 bits for 32-bit architectures and 64 bits for 64-bit architectures). This alignment reduces the need for data conversion when working with memory addresses, resulting in potential performance gains.
• Compiler optimizations: The Go compiler can optimize operations on general types (int/uint) more efficiently because they map directly to the native word size of the processor.
• Code size reduction: Using general types can reduce code size compared to specific types (int64/uint64), as fewer type conversions are required.

Specifically, in a 64-bit Go environment:

• Runtime performance penalties are negligible between int and int64, and between uint and uint64.
• Memory usage is not affected, as both general and specific types occupy 64 bits.

In conclusion, while the specific types (int64/uint64) offer greater precision, general types (int/uint) provide slight performance advantages and reduced code size. When precision is not a concern, using general types is typically more efficient.

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