go/doc/cmd.html

<!--{
	"Title": "Command Documentation",
	"Path":  "/doc/cmd"
}-->

<p>
There is a suite of programs to build and process Go source code.
Instead of being run directly, programs in the suite are usually invoked
by the <a href="/cmd/go/">go</a> program.
</p>

<p>
The most common way to run these programs is as a subcommand of the go program,
for instance as <code>go fmt</code>. Run like this, the command operates on
complete packages of Go source code, with the go program invoking the
underlying binary with arguments appropriate to package-level processing.
</p>

<p>
The programs can also be run as stand-alone binaries, with unmodified arguments,
using the go <code>tool</code> subcommand, such as <code>go tool vet</code>.
This style of invocation allows, for instance, checking a single source file
rather than an entire package: <code>go tool vet myprogram.go</code> as
compared to <code>go vet mypackage</code>.
Some of the commands, such as <code>yacc</code>, are accessible only through
the go <code>tool</code> subcommand.
</p>

<p>
Finally, two of the commands, <code>fmt</code> and <code>doc</code>, are also
installed as regular binaries called <code>gofmt</code> and <code>godoc</code>
because they are so often referenced.
</p>

<p>
Click on the links for more documentation, invocation methods, and usage details.
</p>

<table class="dir">
<tr>
<th>Name</th>
<th>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</th>
<th>Synopsis</th>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><a href="/cmd/go/">go</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>
The <code>go</code> program manages Go source code and runs the other
commands listed here.
See the command docs for usage
details.
<br><br>
</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><a href="/cmd/cgo/">cgo</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>Cgo enables the creation of Go packages that call C code.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><a href="/cmd/fix/">fix</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fix finds Go programs that use old features of the language and libraries
and rewrites them to use newer ones.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><a href="/cmd/go/">doc</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>Doc extracts and generates documentation for Go packages, it is also available as
an independent <a href="/cmd/godoc/">godoc</a> command with more general options.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><a href="/cmd/go/">fmt</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fmt formats Go packages, it is also available as an independent <a href="/cmd/gofmt/">
gofmt</a> command with more general options.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><a href="/cmd/vet/">vet</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>Vet examines Go source code and reports suspicious constructs, such as Printf
calls whose arguments do not align with the format string.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><a href="/cmd/yacc/">yacc</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>Yacc is a version of yacc that generates parsers implemented in Go.</td>
</tr>

</table>

<p>
This is an abridged list. See the <a href="/cmd/">full command reference</a>
for documentation of the compilers and more.
</p>