What is the difference between Mutex and RWMutex in Go?

What is the difference between Mutex and RWMutex in Go?

In Go, a Mutex allows only one goroutine to access a resource at a time, while RWMutex allows multiple readers or one writer.

When should I use RWMutex instead of Mutex?

Use RWMutex when you have many read operations and fewer write operations, as it improves performance by allowing concurrent reads.

Can you give an example of using both in code?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

var mu sync.Mutex
var rw sync.RWMutex

// Using Mutex
mu.Lock()
// critical section
mu.Unlock()

// Using RWMutex
rw.RLock() // for reading
// read operation
rw.RUnlock()

rw.Lock() // for writing
// write operation
rw.Unlock()

What are the performance implications of using each?

Mutex is simpler and faster for exclusive access, but RWMutex can be more efficient for read-heavy workloads.