How to use tracepoints and debug build tags for conditional debugging in Go?

To use tracepoints and debug build tags for conditional debugging in Go, follow these steps:

Add build tags to the relevant source code files: Build tags are used to include or exclude specific code during the build process. Add a build tag at the beginning of the file using the // +build directive. For example, to conditionally enable debug code, add the debug build tag // +build debug.

// main.go

// +build debug

package main

import "log"

func main() {
    log.Println("Debugging enabled")
    // Your code here...
}

Build with the debug build tag: To enable the debug build tag and include the code marked with it, use the -tags flag during the build process. For example, to enable the debug build tag, run:

go build -tags debug

Use tracepoints for conditional debugging: Tracepoints are a way to insert temporary debugging code and log statements without modifying the source code. They allow you to dynamically enable or disable debugging output at runtime. To add a tracepoint, define a function or a variable and wrap it with an if statement that checks a condition. For example:

func tracepoint() {
    if debugEnabled {
        log.Println("Tracepoint hit")
        // Your additional debugging code here...
    }
}

Set the debugEnabled variable: Set the debugEnabled variable to true or false based on when you want to enable or disable the tracepoints. This can be done via command-line flags, environment variables, or any other dynamic method suitable for your application.

package main

import (
    "log"
    "os"
)

var debugEnabled = os.Getenv("DEBUG_ENABLED") == "true"

func main() {
    log.Println("Starting application...")
    // Your code here...
    // Use tracepoint() where needed for conditional debugging
    tracepoint()
    // More code...
}

Enable or disable tracepoints at runtime: The debugEnabled variable can be modified at runtime to toggle tracepoints on or off. You can control this behavior based on user input or any other program logic.

# Enable debugging
export DEBUG_ENABLED=true
go run main.go

# Disable debugging
unset DEBUG_ENABLED
go run main.go

By using tracepoints and debug build tags, you can conditionally enable or disable debugging code without modifying your source code, making it easier to debug and profile your application when needed.