How to access global variables

Question

I'm fairly new to golang, this should be a simple answer but I've tried searching every where with no luck.

How do I access a global variable that was declared/init in my main.go in a different .go package/file? Keeps telling me that the variable is undefined (I know that global variables are bad but this is just to be used as a timestamp)

in main.go

var StartTime = time.Now()
func main(){...}

trying to access StartTime in a different .go file but keep getting StartTime undefined

Answer 1

I would "inject" the starttime variable instead, otherwise you have a circular dependency between the packages.

main.go

var StartTime = time.Now()
func main() {
   otherPackage.StartTime = StartTime
}

otherpackage.go

var StartTime time.Time

Answer 2

I create a file dif.go that contains your code:

package dif

import (
    "time"
)

var StartTime = time.Now()

Outside the folder I create my main.go, it is ok!

package main

import (
    dif "./dif"
    "fmt"
)

func main() {
    fmt.Println(dif.StartTime)
}

Outputs:

2016-01-27 21:56:47.729019925 +0800 CST

Files directory structure:

folder
  main.go
  dif
    dif.go

It works!

Answer 3

I suggest use the common way of import.

First I will explain the way it called "relative import" maybe this way cause of some error

Second I will explain the common way of import.

FIRST:

In go version >= 1.12 there is some new tips about import file and somethings changed.

1- You should put your file in another folder for example I create a file in "model" folder and the file's name is "example.go"

2- You have to use uppercase when you want to import a file!

3- Use Uppercase for variables, structures and functions that you want to import in another files

Notice: There is no way to import the main.go in another file.

file directory is:

root
|_____main.go
|_____model
          |_____example.go

this is a example.go:

package model

import (
    "time"
)

var StartTime = time.Now()

and this is main.go you should use uppercase when you want to import a file. "Mod" started with uppercase

package main

import (
    Mod "./model"
    "fmt"
)

func main() {
    fmt.Println(Mod.StartTime)
}

NOTE!!!

NOTE: I don't recommend this this type of import!

SECOND:

(normal import)

the better way import file is:

your structure should be like this:

root
|_____github.com
         |_________Your-account-name-in-github
         |                |__________Your-project-name
         |                                |________main.go
         |                                |________handlers
         |                                |________models
         |               
         |_________gorilla
                         |__________sessions

and this is a example:

package main

import (
    "github.com/gorilla/sessions"
)

func main(){
     //you can use sessions here
}

so you can import "github.com/gorilla/sessions" in every where that you want...just import it.