How to import and use different packages of the same name

Question

For example, I want to use both the text/template and html/template packages in one source file. But the code below throw errors.

import ( "fmt" "net/http" "text/template" // template redeclared as imported package name "html/template" // template redeclared as imported package name ) func handler_html(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) { t_html, err := html.template.New("foo").Parse(`{{define "T"}}Hello, {{.}}!{{end}}`) t_text, err := text.template.New("foo").Parse(`{{define "T"}}Hello, {{.}}!{{end}}`) }

Mostafa · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-02 06:24:50Z

353

import ( "text/template" htemplate "html/template" // this is now imported as htemplate )

2 Comments

mrpandey Over a year ago

Any convention on how we should name the imported package? Short and small case is general recommendation. But what in case we can't come up with any meaningful short name? Which one is preferable - multi_word or multiWord?

destiny Over a year ago

It is generally advised to use camel casing for multi word import names. import ( multiWord "multi/word" )

agilgur5 · Accepted Answer · 2025-11-23 02:33:27Z

Answer by Mostafa is correct however it demands some explanation. Let me try to answer it.

Your example code doesn't work because you're trying to import two packages with the same name, which is: " template ".

import "html/template" // imports the package as `template` import "text/template" // imports the package as `template` (again)

Importing is a declaration statement:

You can't declare the same name (terminology: identifier) in the same scope.
In Go, import is a declaration, and its scope is the file that's trying to import those packages.
It doesn't work because of the same reason that you can't declare variables with the same name in the same block.

The following code works:

package main import ( "text/template" htemplate "html/template" ) func main() { template.New("foo").Parse(`{{define "T"}}Hello, {{.}}!{{end}}`) htemplate.New("foo").Parse(`{{define "T"}}Hello, {{.}}!{{end}}`) }

The code above gives two different names to the imported packages with the same name. So, there are now two different identifiers that you can use: template for the text/template package and htemplate for the html/template package.

You can check it on the playground.

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