What is the difference between context and cancellation in Go?

What is the difference between context and cancellation in Go?

In Go, context is used to carry deadlines, cancellation signals, and other request-scoped values across API boundaries. Cancellation, on the other hand, is a mechanism to stop ongoing operations when they are no longer needed.

Can you give me an example of how to use context for cancellation?

Sure! You can use context.WithCancel to create a cancellable context. Here's a simple example:

ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())

go func() {
    // Simulate work
    time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
    cancel() // Cancel the context after work is done
}()

select {
case <-ctx.Done():
    fmt.Println("Operation cancelled")
}

What happens if I don't cancel the context?

If you don't cancel the context, any resources associated with it may not be released, leading to potential memory leaks or hanging goroutines.

Are there any best practices for using context in Go?

Yes, some best practices include: always pass context as the first parameter, avoid storing context in global variables, and use context timeouts to prevent long-running operations.