What is the difference between Go's type conversion and type casting?

In Go, there is no explicit type casting, as all conversions between types are done using type conversion. Type conversion is the process of converting a value of one type to another type. It involves creating a new value of the desired type and assigning the original value to it, after making any necessary transformations.

The syntax for type conversion is as follows:

var1 := valueOfType1
var2 := type2(var1)

Here, **var1** is a variable of type **type1**, and **var2** is a variable of type **type2**. The expression **type2(var1)** converts the value of **var1** to type **type2**, creating a new value of type **type2** in the process. The resulting value is assigned to **var2**.

It is important to note that not all types can be converted to all other types. Go only allows type conversions between types that are compatible with each other. For example, it is possible to convert an **int** to a **float64** or vice versa, as they are both numeric types. However, it is not possible to convert a string to an integer, as they are fundamentally different types.

In contrast, type casting is a term used in other programming languages like C and C++, where it refers to the act of treating a value of one type as if it were a value of another type. This is done using a casting operator, such as **(int) value** in C, which tells the compiler to reinterpret the bits of **value** as an **int**. This is a low-level operation that can be dangerous, as it can result in undefined behavior if the types are not compatible.

In summary, the main difference between Go's type conversion and type casting is that Go only supports type conversion, which involves creating a new value of the desired type and assigning the original value to it, after making any necessary transformations. Type casting is a term used in other languages and involves treating a value of one type as if it were a value of another type, using a casting operator.