Go Modules
Go Modules is the official dependency management system for the Go programming language, introduced in Go 1.11. It enables developers to define, version, and manage external packages and dependencies for their Go projects, replacing the older GOPATH-based workflow. It provides reproducible builds by recording exact dependency versions in a go.mod file and supports semantic versioning.
Developers should use Go Modules for any Go project that requires external dependencies to ensure consistent builds across different environments and team members. It is essential for modern Go development, especially in production applications, as it handles version conflicts, enables vendoring, and integrates with tools like go get. Use cases include building microservices, CLI tools, or any Go application that relies on third-party libraries.