Implementing FIFO/Queue in Go: A Guide to Efficient Storage

Go provides three container types: heap, list, and vector, each offering unique advantages. However, for the implementation of a FIFO (First-In-First-Out) queue, a specific choice emerges based on its performance and ease of use.

Optimal Container for Queues

Contrary to popular belief, slices offer an ideal solution for implementing basic and performant FIFO queues. Unlike the other container types, slices provide an efficient framework that avoids unnecessary resizing and reallocation.

Implementation with Slices

The following code snippet demonstrates the simplified implementation of a queue using slices:

queue := make([]int, 0)
// Push to the queue
queue = append(queue, 1)
// Top (just get next element, don't remove it)
x := queue[0]
// Discard top element
queue = queue[1:]
// Is empty?
if len(queue) == 0 {
    fmt.Println("Queue is empty !")
}

Reliability of Slicing

This approach relies on the efficient implementation of append and slicing in Go, which ensures that operations are performed without significant overhead. For basic queue operations, this implementation provides an adequate and efficient solution.