golang-data-structures

Go slices grow dynamically by doubling capacity until a threshold, then increasing by a smaller factor. Preallocate slice capacity using make() when the final size is known to prevent memory allocation overhead and repeated copying during append operations.

Go maps use hash tables with buckets holding up to eight key-value pairs. When buckets overflow, Go rehashes elements into larger bucket arrays, so preallocating map size avoids rehashing overhead during heavy insertion workloads.

Use strings.Builder for efficient string concatenation without memory copying. Use bytes.Buffer for I/O buffering and byte slice manipulation. Builder is specialized for string assembly, while Buffer supports broader read-write operations.

You can use unsafe.Pointer for manual memory layout manipulation and weak.Pointer for garbage collector-aware references. Both require strict safety considerations to prevent memory corruption when implementing generic container patterns.

Use container/list for doubly linked lists, heap for priority queues, and ring for circular buffers. Select based on your insertion and deletion patterns to achieve optimal memory layout and performance for specific workloads.

High memory usage often results from slice and map growth behavior causing over-allocation. Analyze internal mechanics and apply preallocation guidance to optimize memory layout and reduce garbage collection pressure.