Exit with error code in go?

In python I commonly use pattern which converted to go looks like this:

func run() int {
    // here goes
    // the code

    return 1
}

func main() {
    os.Exit(run())
}

As mentioned by fas, you have func Exit(exitcode int) from the os package.

However, if you need the defered function to be applied, you always can use the defer keyword like this:

http://play.golang.org/p/U-hAS88Ug4

You perform all your operation, affect a error variable and at the very end, when everything is cleaned up, you can exit safely.

Otherwise, you could also use panic/recover: http://play.golang.org/p/903e76GnQ-

When you have an error, you panic, end you cleanup where you catch (recover) it.

I think the most clear way to do it is to set the exitCode at the top of main, then defer closing as the next step. That lets you change exitCode anywhere in main, and it's last value will be exited with:

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "os"
)

func main() {
    exitCode := 0
    defer func() { os.Exit(exitCode) }()

    // Do whatever, including deferring more functions

    defer func() {
        fmt.Printf("Do some cleanup\n")
    }()

    func() {
        fmt.Printf("Do some work\n")
    }()

    // But let's say something went wrong
    exitCode = 1

    // Do even more work/cleanup if you want

    // At the end, os.Exit will be called with the last value of exitCode
}

Output:

Do some work
Do some cleanup

Program exited: status 1.

Go Playgroundhttps://play.golang.org/p/AMUR4m_A9Dw

Note that an important disadvantage of this is that you don't exit the process as soon as you set the error code.

I do something along these lines in most of my real main packages, so that the return err convention is adopted as soon as possible, and has a proper termination:

func main() {
    if err := run(); err != nil {
        fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: %v\n", err)
        os.Exit(1)
    }
}

func run() error {
    err := something()
    if err != nil {
        return err
    }
    // etc
}