getting fileinfo in go

fileinfo.go

 package main

 import (
         "fmt"
         "os"
 )

 func main() {

         // can handle symbolic link, but will no follow the link
         fileInfo, err := os.Lstat("file.txt")

         // cannot handle symbolic link
         //fileInfo, err := os.Lstat("file.txt")

         if err != nil {
                 panic(err)
         }

         fmt.Println("Name : ", fileInfo.Name())

         fmt.Println("Size : ", fileInfo.Size())

         fmt.Println("Mode/permission : ", fileInfo.Mode())

         // --- check if file is a symlink

         if fileInfo.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink == os.ModeSymlink {
                 fmt.Println("File is a symbolic link")
         }

         fmt.Println("Modification Time : ", fileInfo.ModTime())

         fmt.Println("Is a directory? : ", fileInfo.IsDir())

         fmt.Println("Is a regular file? : ", fileInfo.Mode().IsRegular())

         fmt.Println("Unix permission bits? : ", fileInfo.Mode().Perm())

         fmt.Println("Permission in string : ", fileInfo.Mode().String())

         fmt.Println("What else underneath? : ", fileInfo.Sys())

 }

That & is a bitwise AND operation. You check if the os.ModeSymlink bit is set.