Metadata

ID: go-best-practices/printf-sprintf

Language: Go

Severity: Info

Category: Best Practices

Description

In Go, developers should avoid using fmt.Printf(fmt.Sprintf("something")) and instead use fmt.Printf("something").

Here are a few reasons why:

1. Unnecessary complexity: The fmt.Sprintf function is used to format a string with placeholders and values. But when you have a simple string like "something", there is no need to use fmt.Sprintf to create it. It adds unnecessary complexity to the code without any benefit.
2. Performance impact: Using fmt.Sprintf to create a string unnecessarily involves extra processing and memory allocation for string formatting. This can have a performance impact, especially if the format string is used frequently or in performance-sensitive areas of the code.
3. Readability and maintainability: The excessive use of formatting functions can make the code harder to read and understand. It can also introduce opportunities for mistakes or confusion when working with complex format strings.
4. Code smell detection: Many code analysis and linter tools can detect unnecessary usage of fmt.Sprintf with constant strings and flag it as a code smell or potential issue. This can lead to noise and make it harder to identify genuine issues in the codebase.

By directly using fmt.Printf("something"), you keep the code simpler, more readable, and avoid unnecessary performance overhead. It ensures that the formatting functions are used when needed, rather than wrapping constant strings in unnecessary formatting constructs.

Non-Compliant Code Examples

func main() {
    fmt.Printf(fmt.Sprintf("something"))
}

Compliant Code Examples

func main() {
    fmt.Printf("something")
}