Go gotcha: Unexpected values in range loop

Why does this code…

primes := []int{2, 3, 5, 7}
for p := range primes {
        fmt.Println(p)
}

…print:

0
1
2
3
Answer

For arrays and slices, the range loop generates two values:

  • first the index,
  • then the data at this position.

If you omit the second value, you get only the indices.

To print the data, use the second value instead:

primes := []int{2, 3, 5, 7}
for _, p := range primes {
        fmt.Println(p)
}

In this case, the blank identifier (underscore) is used for the return value you're not interested in.

See Range loops (for each loops) explained for all about range loops in Go.

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