Chapter 02Allocation and EscapePaid chapter

Value Semantics vs Pointer Semantics — Measured

Determine when value returns are cheaper than pointer returns, where the crossover lies, and how receiver type affects optimization.

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What this chapter teaches

Common belief

Pass by pointer to avoid copying; pointers are faster.

What actually happens

a pointer that escapes costs a heap allocation + GC scan; for small/medium structs the copy is usually cheaper. The right question is does this pointer escape, not is it a pointer.

Mechanisms covered

For structs that fit in a few cache lines (<=128 bytes on amd64), copying is typically cheaper than pointer indirection + GC overhead. The crossover is measurable.

Pointer receivers vs value receivers on methods affect inlining eligibility and escape behavior, not just mutation semantics.

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Escape Analysis — The Compiler's Fragile Decision

Understand how the compiler decides between stack and heap allocation, why the decision is fragile, and how to verify it.

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Maps — Swiss Tables, Growth, and Permanent Memory

Understand the Go 1.24+ Swiss Table map layout, why maps don't shrink, and how to design for memory reclamation.