Why Does 'local import' Fail When Importing a Non-Local Go Package?

Local Import in Non-Local Package: Understanding the Error

In Go, a local import is used to import a package from the same directory or a subdirectory of the current working directory. However, this technique cannot be applied when importing a non-local package, as evidenced by the error "local import "./greeting" in non-local package."

Cause of the Error

To comprehend the error, let's examine the file structure provided:

/Users/clarkj84/Desktop/LearningGo
└── src
    └── jacob.uk.com
        ├── greeting
        │   └── greeting.go
        └── helloworld.go

The issue arises when trying to execute go install jacob.uk.com from within the src directory. This command attempts to install the jacob.uk.com package, which includes the ./greeting import in helloworld.go. However, Go interprets this as a local import since it is executed from the src directory, while the package itself is not located within src.

Solution

To resolve the error, two options are available:

1. Change Working Directory: Navigate to the src/jacob.uk.com directory and execute go install without specifying the package. This allows Go to resolve the import correctly as a local import.
2. Use Absolute Import Path: Replace the local import with an absolute import path:

import "jacob.uk.com/greeting"

This approach allows the package to be imported and used regardless of the working directory.

Advantages of Absolute Imports

Absolute imports offer several advantages over local imports:

• Clarity: They explicitly specify the imported package's location, making it easier to understand and maintain.
• Portability: Absolute imports allow code to be compiled and run from any location without having to change import paths.
• Go Module Compatibility: Modern Go development relies on Go modules, which utilize absolute import paths by default.

The above is the detailed content of Why Does 'local import' Fail When Importing a Non-Local Go Package?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!