What are context timeouts in Go and how do I use them?

What are context timeouts in Go and how do I use them?

Context timeouts in Go are used to control the duration of operations. You can set a timeout for a context to ensure that a function doesn't run indefinitely.

Can you show me a code example of how to implement a context timeout?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 2*time.Second)
defer cancel()

select {
case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
    fmt.Println("Operation completed")
case <-ctx.Done():
    fmt.Println("Operation timed out")
}

What happens if the operation exceeds the timeout?

If the operation exceeds the timeout, the context's Done channel will be closed, and you can handle the timeout accordingly, usually by checking the error returned from the context.

Are there any best practices for using context timeouts?

Yes, some best practices include setting appropriate timeout durations, always canceling contexts when done, and using context values sparingly.