Use channels for communication between goroutines and mutexes for protecting shared data from concurrent access.
Use channels to coordinate work between goroutines and mutexes to protect shared data from concurrent access. Channels are for communication (sending data), while mutexes are for synchronization (locking data).
// Use a channel to send data between goroutines
ch := make(chan int)
go func() { ch <- 42 }()
result := <-ch
// Use a mutex to protect shared state
var mu sync.Mutex
var count int
mu.Lock()
count++
mu.Unlock()
Think of channels as a pipe where you pass items from one worker to another, ensuring they only act when they have the item. Think of a mutex as a single key to a room; only the person holding the key can enter and touch the furniture inside. Use channels when you need to move data or signal completion, and use mutexes when multiple workers need to safely read or write the same variable.