Go Style Decisions Coverage Index

One-line-per-rule index of sections in the Google Go Style Decisions. Use this to find authoritative guidance fast when generating or reviewing Go code.

Coverage legend:

• ✅ — Covered in SKILL.md with rule + example
• 🟡 — Mentioned in SKILL.md but lighter than the canonical doc
• 📘 — Covered in a reference file (see column)
• ❌ — Not covered (deliberate scope limit, or known gap)

Decision section	Coverage	Where in this skill
Naming
underscores	✅	SKILL.md § Naming
package-names	✅	SKILL.md § Naming
receiver-names	✅	SKILL.md § Naming
constant-names	🟡	SKILL.md § Naming (covered by MixedCaps rule)
initialisms	✅	SKILL.md § Naming (Acronyms row)
getters	✅	SKILL.md § Naming (with Fetch / Compute alternatives)
variable-names	🟡	SKILL.md § Naming + common_mentor_feedback.md
repetition (and sub-sections)	📘	common_mentor_feedback.md § Avoid Repetitive Naming
Commentary
comment-line-length	✅	SKILL.md § Documentation
examples	🟡	SKILL.md § Documentation (testable doc examples)
named-result-parameters	❌	(rare in practice; defer to canonical doc)
package-comments	✅	SKILL.md § Documentation
Imports
import-renaming	✅	SKILL.md § Imports + standard_go_patterns.md
import-grouping	✅	SKILL.md § Imports
import-blank	❌	(rare; defer to canonical doc)
import-dot	❌	(forbidden; not worth a section)
Errors
returning-errors	✅	SKILL.md § Error Handling
error-strings	✅	SKILL.md § Error Handling > Error string formatting
handle-errors	✅	SKILL.md § Error Handling
in-band-errors	🟡	SKILL.md § Common Gotchas (use (value, ok))
indent-error-flow	✅	SKILL.md § Error Handling > Indent error flow
Language
literal-formatting	🟡	SKILL.md § Common Gotchas (struct literal field names)
nil-slices	✅	SKILL.md § Nil slices
indentation-confusion	🟡	SKILL.md § Error Handling > Indent error flow
func-formatting	🟡	gofmt handles most of this
conditional-formatting	❌	(gofmt handles most)
copying	🟡	SKILL.md § Receiver type (sync.Mutex example)
dont-panic	✅	SKILL.md § Error Handling > Don't panic / Must
must-functions	✅	SKILL.md § Error Handling > Don't panic / Must
goroutine-lifetimes	🟡	SKILL.md § Concurrency
interfaces	✅	SKILL.md § Interfaces
generics	❌	(rarely a readability blocker; defer)
pass-values	🟡	SKILL.md § Receiver type
receiver-type	✅	SKILL.md § Receiver type
switch-break	✅	SKILL.md § Switch & break
synchronous-functions	🟡	SKILL.md § Concurrency
type-aliases	❌	(rare; defer)
use-percent-q	✅	SKILL.md § Error Handling > Use %q for quoted strings
use-any	✅	SKILL.md § Self-audit checklist
Common libraries
flags	🟡	standard_go_patterns.md
logging	✅	SKILL.md § Error Handling + standard_go_patterns.md
contexts	✅	SKILL.md § Concurrency
crypto-rand	❌	(security-specific; defer)
Useful test failures
useful-test-failures (overview)	✅	SKILL.md § Testing > Useful test failures
assert (no assert libraries)	✅	SKILL.md § Testing
identify-the-function	📘	testing_failures.md
identify-the-input	📘	testing_failures.md
got-before-want	📘	testing_failures.md
compare-full-structures	📘	testing_failures.md
compare-stable-results	📘	testing_failures.md
keep-going	📘	testing_failures.md
types-of-equality	📘	testing_failures.md
level-of-detail	📘	testing_failures.md
print-diffs	📘	testing_failures.md
test-error-semantics	📘	testing_failures.md
Test structure
subtests	📘	testing_failures.md
subtest-names	📘	testing_failures.md
table-driven-tests	🟡	SKILL.md § Testing
table-tests-data-driven	❌	(advanced; defer to canonical)
table-tests-identifying-the-row	📘	testing_failures.md
mark-test-helpers	🟡	SKILL.md § Testing
test-package	❌	(rare decision; defer)
use-package-testing	✅	SKILL.md § Testing

See also

• Google Go Style Decisions
• Google Go Style Guide
• Google Go Best Practices