Question 1

How to convert a string to a decimal in Go with shopspring/decimal?

Accepted Answer

Use the NewFromString method, which parses a string into a decimal, handling errors if the input is invalid. For example, price, err := decimal.NewFromString("136.02") from the usage snippet.

Question 2

Shopspring decimal vs cockroachdb apd: which should I use?

Accepted Answer

Shopspring decimal is better for correctness and ease of use with an immutable API, while cockroachdb/apd offers higher performance with a mutable, rich API similar to big.Int. Choose based on whether you prioritize speed or safety.

Question 3

Can decimal handle very large numbers with high precision?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but it has a limit of 2^31 digits after the decimal point, so it's suitable for most financial applications but may not cover all arbitrary-precision scenarios like some mathematical computations.

Question 4

How to avoid floating-point rounding errors in Go financial code?

Accepted Answer

Use shopspring/decimal for exact decimal representation instead of float64, as it prevents precision loss for numbers like 0.1, ensuring accurate calculations for money, taxes, and fees.

Question 5

Is shopspring decimal thread-safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes, because it's immutable—all operations return new decimals without modifying the original. This makes it safe for concurrent use without additional locking, similar to other Go value types.

Question 6

How to serialize decimal to JSON in Go for an API?

Accepted Answer

The library provides built-in JSON marshaling and unmarshaling via the encoding/json package. Just use decimal.Decimal types in your structs, and they'll serialize correctly as strings or numbers based on configuration.

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