Spot the Nil Dereference: How to avoid a billion-dollar mistake

The Go language, known for its simplicity and efficiency, still hides a sneaky pitfall: nil dereference, often referred to as the “Billion Dollar Mistake”. This issue has a long history, it is still valid for Go, it is harmless in code, but disastrous at runtime.
A single nil value can trigger a runtime panic and take down an entire system. In this talk, we will explore how nil dereferences occur in Go, how you can prevent them, and what tools you can use to catch them before they reach production.

By the end of this talk, the attendees will have a comprehensive understanding of:
1. The origins of nil dereferences in Go and their impact on runtime behavior.
2. Best practices and tips for writing safer Go code when dealing with nil-related issues.
3. Existing static analysis tools that can help detect nil dereference errors before runtime.