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Go / Show Specific Symbol Documentation

Show Specific Symbol Documentation

Display documentation on a specific symbol within a Go package.

$
Terminal
go doc -all -src <encoding/json.Number>

When To Use

During code review sessions to clarify functionality linked to symbols.

Pro Tip

Utilize the `-src` flag to inspect implementation details of the symbol directly from source files.

Anatomy of Output

Understanding the result

Symbol: <SymbolName> Symbol Name

Defines the specific function/type being documented.

Documentation: <DocContent> Symbol Documentation

Detailed description of the symbol's behavior and usage.

Source: <SourceFile> Source Location

File and line number where the symbol is defined.

Power User Variants

Optimized versions

go doc -src encoding/json.Number

Display the symbol's source code.

go doc -all encoding/json.Number

Show all related symbols including methods.

Troubleshooting

Common pitfalls

FAIL: Symbol not found

Solution: Check for typos in the symbol name.

FAIL: Unsupported package

Solution: Ensure the package is standard or properly initialized.

FAIL: No documentation available

Solution: Confirm the symbol is exported.

Command Breakdown

What each part is doing

go
Base Command
The executable that performs this operation. Here it runs Go before the shell applies any redirect operators.
<encoding/json.Number>
encoding json.Number
The value supplied for encoding json.Number.
-all
Command Option
Tool-specific option used by this command invocation.
-src
Command Option
Tool-specific option used by this command invocation.

Alternative Approaches

Comparable commands in other tools

Alternative programming tools for the same job.