Go: Append if unique

Question

Is there a way to check slices/maps for the presence of a value?

I would like to add a value to a slice only if it does not

Answer 1

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "os"
    "reflect"
)

func main() {
/*  s := []string{"a", "b"}
    fmt.Println(s)

    s = AppendIfMissing(s, "4").([]string)

    fmt.Println(s)*/

/*  var a []*string
    a = make([]*string, 0)
    e := "4"
    a = AppendIfMissing(a, &e).([]*string)
    fmt.Println(*a[0])*/

    var a []*float64
    a = make([]*float64, 3)
    e := 4.4
    d := 4.41
    a = AppendIfMissing(a, &e).([]*float64)
    a = AppendIfMissing(a, &d).([]*float64)
    fmt.Println(*a[3], *a[4])
}

func AppendIfMissing(array interface{}, element interface{}) interface{} {
    if reflect.ValueOf(array).IsNil() {
        fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "array not initialized\n")
        return nil
    }

    switch reflect.TypeOf(array).Kind() {
    case reflect.Slice:
        arrayV := reflect.ValueOf(array)
        arrayVLen := arrayV.Len()
        if arrayVLen == 0 {//if make len == 0
            sliceNew := reflect.MakeSlice(reflect.ValueOf(array).Type(), 1, 1)
            if sliceNew.Index(0).Type() != reflect.ValueOf(element).Type() {
                fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "types are not same\n")
                return sliceNew.Interface()
            }

            sliceNew.Index(0).Set(reflect.ValueOf(element))
            return sliceNew.Interface()
        }
        for i := 0; i < arrayVLen; i++ {
            if i == 0 && reflect.ValueOf(element).Kind() != arrayV.Index(i).Kind() {
                fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "types are not same\n")
                return array
            }
            if arrayV.Index(i).Interface() == element {
                return array
            }
        }
    default:
        fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "first element is not array\n")
        return array
    }

    arrayV := reflect.ValueOf(array)
    elementV := reflect.ValueOf(element)
    appendAE := reflect.Append(arrayV, elementV)

    return appendAE.Interface()
}