Convert int32 to string in Golang

Converting int32 to string in Golang can be straightforward with a concise solution: fmt.Sprint(i). However, if this direct method is not sufficient, there are several conversion options available:

1. Custom Conversion Function: This is the fastest method, involving writing your own conversion function.
2. fmt.Sprint(i): This is a slower approach compared to the custom function but remains an option.
3. strconv.Itoa(int(i)): While slightly faster than fmt.Sprint(i), it requires converting int32 to int before conversion.
4. strconv.FormatInt(int64(i), 10): This is a faster method compared to strconv.Itoa(int(i)) as it directly converts int32 to int64 and then to string.

Performance benchmarks indicate that the custom conversion function (String) is the most efficient, followed by strconv.FormatInt, strconv.Itoa, and fmt.Sprint.

Here's a code snippet demonstrating the comparison:

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "strconv"
    "time"
)

func main() {
    var s string
    i := int32(-2147483648)
    t := time.Now()
    for j := 0; j ), i/10
        if i == 0 {
            if signed {
                pos--
                buf[pos] = '-'
            }
            return string(buf[pos:])
        }
    }
}

Ultimately, the best choice depends on the specific requirements and performance constraints of your application.