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Go - Iterate Over a Slice
Last Updated : May 17, 2025
You can iterate over a slice using a for loop in two common ways:
- Using a simple
for loop with an index.
- Using a
for range loop.
Iterate Over a Slice Using Index
You can use a for loop with an index to access each element by its position.
Example
In this example, we are iterating over a slice of Indian cities using an index-based loop:
package main
import "fmt"
func main() {
cities := []string{"Delhi", "Mumbai", "Kolkata"}
for i := 0; i < len(cities); i++ {
fmt.Printf("City at index %d is %s\n", i, cities[i])
}
}
When executed, this program outputs:
City at index 0 is Delhi
City at index 1 is Mumbai
City at index 2 is Kolkata
Iterate Over a Slice Using for range
The for range loop provides a simple way to iterate over slices. It returns both the index and the value for each element.
Example
In this example, we are iterating over the same slice of Indian cities using for range:
package main
import "fmt"
func main() {
cities := []string{"Delhi", "Mumbai", "Kolkata"}
for index, city := range cities {
fmt.Printf("City at index %d is %s\n", index, city)
}
}
When executed, this program outputs:
City at index 0 is Delhi
City at index 1 is Mumbai
City at index 2 is Kolkata
Iterate Over a Slice by Ignoring Index or Value
If you only need the index or only the value, you can ignore the other by using the blank identifier _.
Example
In this example, we are printing only the city names from the slice, ignoring the index:
package main
import "fmt"
func main() {
cities := []string{"Delhi", "Mumbai", "Kolkata"}
for _, city := range cities {
fmt.Println(city)
}
}
When executed, this program outputs:
Delhi
Mumbai
Kolkata
Exercise
Select the correct option to complete each statement about iterating over a slice in Go.
- The keyword used to get both index and value while iterating over a slice is ___.
- To ignore the index when iterating using
for range, you use ___.
- What is the output of the following code snippet?
In this example, we are printing only the first city in the slice:
cities := []string{"Chennai", "Hyderabad"}
for i, city := range cities {
if i == 0 {
fmt.Println(city)
}
}
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