Generate Go code from .proto files using the protoc compiler and the Go plugin to handle data serialization.
Use the protoc compiler with the Go plugin to generate Go code from your .proto files, then import the generated package in your Go code. Run the following command in your project directory to generate the Go source files:
protoc --go_out=. --go_opt=paths=source_relative *.proto
This generates Go files (e.g., example.pb.go) that define the message structs and methods needed to marshal and unmarshal data.
Protocol Buffers let you define data structures in a simple file format, and then automatically generate the code needed to save and load that data in Go. Think of it like a blueprint: you draw the shape of your data once, and the tool builds the Go code that fits that shape perfectly. You use it whenever you need to send structured data between different parts of your application or between different services.