---

name: go-reviewer description: | WHEN: Go project review, error handling, goroutines, interfaces, testing WHAT: Error handling patterns + Concurrency safety + Interface design + Testing + Idiomatic Go WHEN NOT: Go API frameworks → go-api-reviewer, Rust → rust-reviewer

Go Reviewer Skill

Purpose

Reviews Go code for idiomatic patterns, error handling, concurrency, and best practices.

When to Use

• Go project code review
• Error handling review
• Goroutine/channel review
• Interface design review
• Go testing patterns

Project Detection

• go.mod in project root
• .go files
• cmd/, internal/, pkg/ structure
• *_test.go test files

Workflow

Step 1: Analyze Project

**Go Version**: 1.21+
**Module**: github.com/org/project
**Structure**: Standard Go layout
**Testing**: go test / testify
**Linter**: golangci-lint

Step 2: Select Review Areas

AskUserQuestion:

"Which areas to review?"
Options:
- Full Go review (recommended)
- Error handling patterns
- Concurrency and goroutines
- Interface design
- Testing and benchmarks
multiSelect: true

Detection Rules

Error Handling

Check	Recommendation	Severity
Ignored error	Always handle errors	CRITICAL
err != nil only	Add context with fmt.Errorf	MEDIUM
Panic for errors	Return error instead	HIGH
No error wrapping	Use %w for wrapping	MEDIUM

// BAD: Ignored error
data, _ := ioutil.ReadFile("config.json")

// GOOD: Handle error
data, err := os.ReadFile("config.json")
if err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("reading config: %w", err)
}

// BAD: No context
if err != nil {
    return err
}

// GOOD: Add context
if err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("failed to process user %d: %w", userID, err)
}

// BAD: Panic for recoverable error
func GetUser(id int) *User {
    user, err := db.FindUser(id)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)  // Don't panic!
    }
    return user
}

// GOOD: Return error
func GetUser(id int) (*User, error) {
    user, err := db.FindUser(id)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("getting user %d: %w", id, err)
    }
    return user, nil
}

Concurrency

Check	Recommendation	Severity
Data race potential	Use mutex or channels	CRITICAL
Goroutine leak	Ensure goroutines exit	HIGH
Unbuffered channel deadlock	Use buffered or select	HIGH
No context cancellation	Pass context.Context	MEDIUM

// BAD: Data race
type Counter struct {
    count int
}

func (c *Counter) Increment() {
    c.count++  // Race condition!
}

// GOOD: Mutex protection
type Counter struct {
    mu    sync.Mutex
    count int
}

func (c *Counter) Increment() {
    c.mu.Lock()
    defer c.mu.Unlock()
    c.count++
}

// BAD: Goroutine leak
func process(items []Item) {
    for _, item := range items {
        go processItem(item)  // No way to wait or cancel!
    }
}

// GOOD: WaitGroup and context
func process(ctx context.Context, items []Item) error {
    g, ctx := errgroup.WithContext(ctx)

    for _, item := range items {
        item := item  // Capture loop variable
        g.Go(func() error {
            return processItem(ctx, item)
        })
    }

    return g.Wait()
}

// BAD: No timeout
resp, err := client.Do(req)

// GOOD: With context timeout
ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 5*time.Second)
defer cancel()

req = req.WithContext(ctx)
resp, err := client.Do(req)

Interface Design

Check	Recommendation	Severity
Large interface	Keep interfaces small	MEDIUM
Interface in implementation	Define at consumer	MEDIUM
Concrete type in signature	Accept interfaces	MEDIUM
No interface for testing	Add interface for mocking	MEDIUM

// BAD: Large interface
type UserService interface {
    GetUser(id int) (*User, error)
    CreateUser(u *User) error
    UpdateUser(u *User) error
    DeleteUser(id int) error
    ListUsers() ([]*User, error)
    SearchUsers(query string) ([]*User, error)
    // ... 20 more methods
}

// GOOD: Small, focused interfaces
type UserGetter interface {
    GetUser(ctx context.Context, id int) (*User, error)
}

type UserCreator interface {
    CreateUser(ctx context.Context, u *User) error
}

// Consumer defines the interface it needs
type UserHandler struct {
    getter UserGetter  // Only what it needs
}

// BAD: Concrete type dependency
func ProcessFile(f *os.File) error {
    // Hard to test
}

// GOOD: Interface dependency
func ProcessFile(r io.Reader) error {
    // Easy to test with strings.Reader, bytes.Buffer, etc.
}

Code Organization

Check	Recommendation	Severity
No package structure	Use cmd/internal/pkg	MEDIUM
Exported unnecessary	Keep internal private	LOW
Package name mismatch	Match directory name	LOW
Circular import	Restructure packages	HIGH

// GOOD: Standard Go project layout
project/
├── cmd/
│   └── server/
│       └── main.go
├── internal/           # Private packages
│   ├── service/
│   │   └── user.go
│   └── repository/
│       └── user.go
├── pkg/               # Public packages
│   └── client/
│       └── client.go
├── go.mod
└── go.sum

Testing

Check	Recommendation	Severity
No table-driven tests	Use test tables	MEDIUM
No test helpers	Extract common setup	LOW
No benchmarks	Add for hot paths	LOW
Mocking concrete types	Use interfaces	MEDIUM

// GOOD: Table-driven test
func TestParseSize(t *testing.T) {
    tests := []struct {
        name    string
        input   string
        want    int64
        wantErr bool
    }{
        {"bytes", "100", 100, false},
        {"kilobytes", "1KB", 1024, false},
        {"megabytes", "1MB", 1048576, false},
        {"invalid", "abc", 0, true},
    }

    for _, tt := range tests {
        t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
            got, err := ParseSize(tt.input)
            if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
                t.Errorf("ParseSize() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
                return
            }
            if got != tt.want {
                t.Errorf("ParseSize() = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
            }
        })
    }
}

// GOOD: Benchmark
func BenchmarkParseSize(b *testing.B) {
    for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
        ParseSize("1MB")
    }
}

Response Template

## Go Code Review Results

**Project**: [name]
**Go**: 1.22 | **Linter**: golangci-lint

### Error Handling
| Status | File | Issue |
|--------|------|-------|
| CRITICAL | service.go:45 | Ignored error from db.Query |

### Concurrency
| Status | File | Issue |
|--------|------|-------|
| HIGH | worker.go:23 | Potential goroutine leak |

### Interface Design
| Status | File | Issue |
|--------|------|-------|
| MEDIUM | handler.go:12 | Concrete type in function signature |

### Testing
| Status | File | Issue |
|--------|------|-------|
| MEDIUM | service_test.go | No table-driven tests |

### Recommended Actions
1. [ ] Handle all returned errors
2. [ ] Add context cancellation to goroutines
3. [ ] Define interfaces at consumer side
4. [ ] Convert tests to table-driven format

Best Practices

1. Errors: Always handle, wrap with context
2. Concurrency: Use context, errgroup, proper sync
3. Interfaces: Small, defined at consumer
4. Testing: Table-driven, interfaces for mocking
5. Linting: Use golangci-lint

Integration

• go-api-reviewer: API framework patterns
• security-scanner: Go security audit
• perf-analyzer: Go performance profiling