Check if the Slice of bytes starts with specified prefix in Golang


In Golang, it's common practice to check if the slice of bytes starts with a specified prefix. Golang's bytes package offers a number of functions to perform various operations on byteslices. The HasPrefix function, one of several, determines whether a segment of bytes begins with a given prefix.

In this article, we will discuss how to check if a slice of bytes starts with a specified prefix in Golang. We will cover the HasPrefix function provided by the bytes package, its syntax, parameters, and examples.

Using HasPrefix Function

The bytes package in Golang provides the HasPrefix function to check if a slice of bytes starts with a specified prefix. The syntax of the HasPrefix function is as follows −

func HasPrefix(s, prefix []byte) bool

The HasPrefix function takes two parameters, the slice of bytes to check and the prefix to search for. It returns a boolean value indicating whether the slice of bytes starts with the specified prefix or not.

Example 1: Check if a Slice of Bytes Starts with a Specified Prefix

Let's see an example that demonstrates how to use the HasPrefix function to check if a slice of bytes starts with a specified prefix.

package main

import (
   "bytes"
   "fmt"
)

func main() {
   slice := []byte{'G', 'o', 'l', 'a', 'n', 'g'}
   prefix := []byte{'G', 'o'}

   if bytes.HasPrefix(slice, prefix) {
      fmt.Println("Slice starts with prefix")
   } else {
      fmt.Println("Slice does not start with prefix")
   }
}

Output

Slice starts with prefix

In this example, we have a slice of bytes named "slice" and a prefix named "prefix." We use the HasPrefix function to check if the slice starts with the specified prefix. If the slice starts with the prefix, the HasPrefix function returns true, and we print "Slice starts with prefix." If the slice does not start with the prefix, the HasPrefix function returns false, and we print "Slice does not start with prefix."

Example 2: Check if a Slice of Bytes Starts with a Specified Prefix (Using a String)

Let's see another example that demonstrates how to use the HasPrefix function to check if a slice of bytes starts with a specified prefix. This time, we will use a string instead of a slice of bytes to represent the prefix.

package main

import (
   "bytes"
   "fmt"
)

func main() {
   slice := []byte{'G', 'o', 'l', 'a', 'n', 'g'}
   prefix := "Go"

   if bytes.HasPrefix(slice, []byte(prefix)) {
      fmt.Println("Slice starts with prefix")
   } else {
      fmt.Println("Slice does not start with prefix")
   }
}

Output

Slice starts with prefix

In this example, we have a slice of bytes named "slice" and a string named "prefix." We convert the string to a slice of bytes using the []byte function and pass it to the HasPrefix function along with the slice of bytes to check. The rest of the logic is the same as in the previous example.

Conclusion

In Golang, it's common practise to determine whether a slice of bytes startws with a specified prefix. The HasPrefix function in the Golang bytes package makes it simple to determine whether a slice of bytes begins with a given prefix. This article covered the usage of the HasPrefix function to determine whether a slice of bytes begins with a given prefix. Also, we offered two examples that show how to apply the HasPrefix function.

Updated on: 07-Apr-2023

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