🎯 The Mission (Should You Choose to Accept It)

Ever wanted to juggle multiple Go versions like a caffeinated circus performer? Well, buckle up buttercup! We're about to turn your development environment into a beautiful, organized chaos using goversion. It's like having multiple personalities, but for your compiler! 🎪

🛠 What You'll Need (The Usual Suspects)

• macOS (because we're fancy like that) ✨
• Homebrew (the magical elixir dispenser) 🍺
• Go already installed (probably gathering dust somewhere) 🕸️
• A shell that doesn't judge you (zsh or bash will do) 🐚
• Coffee ☕ (not technically required but highly recommended)

📦 The Grand Adventure Begins!

1. 🕵️ Playing Detective with Your Current Go Setup

First, let's see what Go shenanigans you've got going on:

which go
# Probably something like: /opt/homebrew/opt/[email protected]/bin/go
# (Look at you, all organized and stuff!)

go env GOPATH
# Usually: /Users/your-username/go
# (Your Go's happy place)

✅ Great! Your Go is living its best life via Homebrew, and GOPATH is chilling in your home directory like a good little environment variable.

2. 🎪 Installing the Star of Our Show: goversion

Time to bring in the main character! If you haven't already invited goversion to the party:

go install go-simpler.org/goversion@latest

🎉 Boom! goversion just moved into $GOPATH/bin (that's $HOME/go/bin for those keeping score at home). It's like Airbnb, but for Go tools!

3. 🛤️ Making Friends with Your $PATH (The Social Network)

Your shell needs to know where the cool kids hang out. Edit your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc (whichever one doesn't give you the silent treatment):

export PATH="$HOME/go/bin:$PATH"

Now give your shell a gentle nudge:

source ~/.zshrc  # or source ~/.bashrc if you're team bash

Let's make sure goversion didn't get lost on the way:

which goversion
# Should say: /Users/your-username/go/bin/goversion
# If not, goversion is playing hide and seek 🙈

4. 🎁 Adopting a New Go Version (Go 1.19, Come on Down!)

Let's invite Go 1.19 to join our little family reunion:

goversion use 1.19

🎊 Watch the magic happen! goversion will:

• Download Go 1.19 faster than you can say "dependency hell" 📦
• Unpack it to /Users/your-username/sdk/go1.19 (its new home!) 🏠
• Create a shiny new go1.19 command (like having a nickname!) 🏷️
• Set up all the plumbing without flooding your system 🔧

Now you can chat with your new Go buddy:

go1.19 version
# Output: go version go1.19 darwin/arm64
# (It's alive! IT'S ALIVE! 🧟‍♂️)

5. 🎭 The Great Go Version Switcheroo

Want to temporarily live in the Go 1.19 universe? Just for this terminal session:

export PATH="$HOME/sdk/go1.19/bin:$PATH"

Let's see if the transformation worked:

go version
# Output: go version go1.19 darwin/arm64
# Abracadabra! You're now in Go 1.19 land! 🪄

6. 💍 Making It Official (Go 1.19 Forever and Always)

If you want Go 1.19 to be your main squeeze, add this line to the TOP of your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc (order matters, people!):

export PATH="$HOME/sdk/go1.19/bin:$PATH"

Seal the deal:

source ~/.zshrc  # or ~/.bashrc for the bash enthusiasts

7. 🔄 The Version Hopping Olympics

Feeling adventurous? Let's collect Go versions like Pokémon cards:

goversion use 1.22
export PATH="$HOME/sdk/go1.22/bin:$PATH"
# Welcome to the Go 1.22 dimension! 🌟

Or create some snappy aliases (because typing is hard):

alias go19="go1.19"  # The classic
alias go22="go1.22"  # The new hotness
alias gogo="go"      # For when you're feeling extra

🎯 Your Go Version Management Cheat Sheet

✅ Pro Tips from a Reformed Version Juggler

Go ahead, be a collector! Gotta catch 'em all:

goversion use 1.21  # The reliable friend
goversion use 1.22  # The trendy one
goversion use 1.20  # The nostalgic choice

Switch faster than your mood on Monday morning:

export PATH="$HOME/sdk/go1.21/bin:$PATH"
# Poof! You're now in Go 1.21 land 🏰

Or just be specific about your needs (communication is key!):

go1.19 build    # "Hey Go 1.19, build this for me!"
go1.22 test     # "Go 1.22, time to prove yourself!"

🚀 Level Up: The Ultimate Go Switcher Function

For the overachievers who want a one-liner to rule them all, add this masterpiece to your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc:

# The Go version switcher of your dreams ✨
switch_go() {
    if [ -z "$1" ]; then
        echo "🤔 Usage: switch_go "
        echo "📝 Example: switch_go 1.19"
        echo "💡 Pro tip: Don't forget the version number!"
        return 1
    fi
    
    export PATH="$HOME/sdk/go$1/bin:$PATH"
    echo "🎉 Switched to Go $1 like a boss!"
    echo "🔍 Current version check:"
    go version
}

# Usage examples (copy-paste friendly!)
# switch_go 1.19  # "Take me to Go 1.19 town!"
# switch_go 1.22  # "I want the shiny new features!"

🎓 Graduation Speech

Congratulations! You've successfully transformed from a single-Go peasant into a multi-version wizard! 🧙‍♂️ You can now:

• Switch Go versions faster than a chameleon changes colors 🦎
• Impress your colleagues with your version management skills 😎
• Never again be stuck with "the wrong Go version" syndrome 🚫
• Feel like a developer superhero (cape not included) 🦸‍♂️

📚 Further Reading (For the Curious Cats)

Want to dive deeper into the goversion rabbit hole? Check out the official goversion repository where the magic happens! ✨

P.S. If you break something while following this guide, just remember: it's not a bug, it's a feature! And if all else fails, there's always rm -rf and starting over (kidding, please don't do that) 😅