How do I use mutex in Go?

How do I use mutex in Go?

In Go, you can use the sync.Mutex type to manage concurrent access to shared resources. You lock the mutex before accessing the resource and unlock it afterward.

Can you show me a code example?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "sync"
)

var (
    mu sync.Mutex
    counter int
)

func increment() {
    mu.Lock()
    counter++
    mu.Unlock()
}

func main() {
    var wg sync.WaitGroup
    for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
        wg.Add(1)
        go func() {
            defer wg.Done()
            increment()
        }()
    }
    wg.Wait()
    fmt.Println(counter)
}

What happens if I forget to unlock the mutex?

If you forget to unlock the mutex, it can lead to a deadlock situation where other goroutines are blocked and cannot proceed, causing your program to hang.

Are there alternatives to using mutex?

Yes, you can use channels for synchronization or other concurrency primitives like sync.RWMutex for read-write access.