# 
## What is Golang? 
**Golang**, also known as Go, is an open-source, compiled, and statically-typed programming language developed by Google. The language has a simple syntax and robust standard libraries.

It is used in real-world applications and supports imperative and OOP paradigms.

## About `nil` 

**`nil`** is a predefined identifier in Go that represents zero values of many types. `nil` is usually mistaken as null (or NULL) in other languages, but they are different.

> **Note**: `nil` can be used without declaring it. 



## Zero values for many types

`nil` can represent zero values for several types like pointer types, map types, slice types, function types, channel types, interface types, and so on. 

## Default type for `nil`
There is no default type for pre-defined `nil`. It is the only untyped value that does not have a default type. 

>**Note**: Default types define the variable and its type. For example, `true` and `false` are bool types. 

## Example






package main

import (
	"fmt"
)

func main() {
	n := nil
	fmt.Println(n)
}


The code above will not execute because there isn't a type assigned to `nil`.
Let's try this code where we  assign a type to `nil`:

package main

import (
	"fmt"
)

func main() {
	var n*int = nil
	fmt.Println(n)
}

## Explanation 

* Line 8: We assign `n` an `int` type and then make it equal to `nil`.
* Line 9: We print the assigned variable, `n`. 

## Pre-declared `nil` can be reassigned

The pre-declared `nil` keyword can be shadowed by declaring it again. 

The following code explains it better: 

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
	nil := 12
	fmt.Println(nil) // It will print 12

	//The following wont compile
	var _ map[string]int = nil
}

## Explanation

* Line 6: We assign the value, `12`, to the pre-declared `nil`
* Line 7: We print the assigned `nil`.
* Line 10: This line doesn't compile because `nil` gets shadowed using `nil` (type `int`) as the `map[string]int` type in the assignment. 

What does nil mean in Golang?

nil in Go represents zero values for types like pointers, maps, slices, etc., and has no default type. It differs from null in other languages.

What does nil mean in Golang?

What is Golang?

About nil

Zero values for many types

Default type for nil

Example

Explanation

Pre-declared nil can be reassigned

Explanation

About `nil`

Default type for `nil`

Pre-declared `nil` can be reassigned