Golang Goroutine泄漏

// Copyright 2012 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.

// +build ignore

package main

import (
    "fmt"

    "code.google.com/p/go-tour/tree"
)

func walkImpl(t *tree.Tree, ch chan int) {
    if t == nil {
        return
    }
    walkImpl(t.Left, ch)
    ch <- t.Value
    walkImpl(t.Right, ch)
}

// Walk walks the tree t sending all values
// from the tree to the channel ch.
func Walk(t *tree.Tree, ch chan int) {
    walkImpl(t, ch)
    // Need to close the channel here
    close(ch)
}

// Same determines whether the trees
// t1 and t2 contain the same values.
// NOTE: The implementation leaks goroutines when trees are different.
// See binarytrees_quit.go for a better solution.
func Same(t1, t2 *tree.Tree) bool {
    w1, w2 := make(chan int), make(chan int)

    go Walk(t1, w1)
    go Walk(t2, w2)

    for {
        v1, ok1 := <-w1
        v2, ok2 := <-w2
        if !ok1 || !ok2 {
            return ok1 == ok2
        }
        if v1 != v2 {
            return false
        }
    }
}

func main() {
    fmt.Print("tree.New(1) == tree.New(1): ")
    if Same(tree.New(1), tree.New(1)) {
        fmt.Println("PASSED")
    } else {
        fmt.Println("FAILED")
    }

    fmt.Print("tree.New(1) != tree.New(2): ")
    if !Same(tree.New(1), tree.New(2)) {
        fmt.Println("PASSED")
    } else {
        fmt.Println("FAILED")
    }
}

In this code, a solution for http://tour.golang.org/concurrency/8

Why is there a comment on Same() func Same(t1, t2 *tree.Tree) bool saying that it leaks goroutines? How so? It also mentions a second file that fixes this:

// Copyright 2015 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.

// +build ignore

package main

import (
    "fmt"

    "code.google.com/p/go-tour/tree"
)

func walkImpl(t *tree.Tree, ch, quit chan int) {
    if t == nil {
        return
    }
    walkImpl(t.Left, ch, quit)
    select {
    case ch <- t.Value:
        // Value successfully sent.
    case <-quit:
        return
    }
    walkImpl(t.Right, ch, quit)
}

// Walk walks the tree t sending all values
// from the tree to the channel ch.
func Walk(t *tree.Tree, ch, quit chan int) {
    walkImpl(t, ch, quit)
    close(ch)
}

// Same determines whether the trees
// t1 and t2 contain the same values.
func Same(t1, t2 *tree.Tree) bool {
    w1, w2 := make(chan int), make(chan int)
    quit := make(chan int)
    defer close(quit)

    go Walk(t1, w1, quit)
    go Walk(t2, w2, quit)

    for {
        v1, ok1 := <-w1
        v2, ok2 := <-w2
        if !ok1 || !ok2 {
            return ok1 == ok2
        }
        if v1 != v2 {
            return false
        }
    }
}

func main() {
    fmt.Print("tree.New(1) == tree.New(1): ")
    if Same(tree.New(1), tree.New(1)) {
        fmt.Println("PASSED")
    } else {
        fmt.Println("FAILED")
    }

    fmt.Print("tree.New(1) != tree.New(2): ")
    if !Same(tree.New(1), tree.New(2)) {
        fmt.Println("PASSED")
    } else {
        fmt.Println("FAILED")
    }
}

How does it accomplish that? Where was this leak? (to test the code you will have to run it on http://tour.golang.org/concurrency/8). Very confused and would appreciate some help, thanks!

The program stops receiving on the channels when a difference is detected.

The walk goroutines run until they block sending to the channels. They never exit. This is the leak.

The second solution handles the leak by using the quit channel. When the quit channel is closed (in Same() function), the case 2 of select statement succeeds(case <-quit in walkImpl function) and the function returns. Hence there is no block in the walkImpl function after the program exits.