type DB struct {
    *sql.DB
}

var db *DB

func init() {
    dbinfo := fmt.Sprintf("user=%s password=%s dbname=%s sslmode=disable",
        DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, DB_NAME)

    db, err := NewDB(dbinfo)
    checkErr(err)

    rows, err := db.Query("SELECT * FROM profile")
    checkErr(err)

    fmt.Println(rows)
}

func NewDB(dataSourceName string) (*DB, error) {
    db, err := sql.Open("postgres", dataSourceName)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }
    if err = db.Ping(); err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }
    return &DB{db}, nil
}

func (p *Profile) InsertProfile() {
    if db != nil {
        _, err := db.Exec(...)
        checkErr(err)
    } else {
        fmt.Println("DB object is NULL")
    }
}

db, err := NewDB(dbinfo)

var err error
db, err = NewDB(dbinfo)
if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}

var db *sql.DB

func init() {
    var err error
    db, err = sql.Open("yourdrivername", "somesource")
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    if err = db.Ping(); err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
}

package main

import "fmt"

var foo string = "global"

func main() {
    fmt.Println(foo) // prints "global"

    // using := creates a new function scope variable
    // named foo that shadows the package scope foo
    foo := "function scope"
    fmt.Println(foo) // prints "function scope"
    printGlobalFoo() // prints "global"

    if true {
        foo := "nested scope"
        fmt.Println(foo) // prints "nested scope"
        printGlobalFoo() // prints "global"
    }
    // the foo created inside the if goes out of scope when
    // the code block is exited

    fmt.Println(foo) // prints "function scope"
    printGlobalFoo() // prints "global"

    if true {
        foo = "nested scope" // note just = not :=
    }

    fmt.Println(foo) // prints "nested scope"
    printGlobalFoo() // prints "global"

    setGlobalFoo()
    printGlobalFoo() // prints "new value"
}

func printGlobalFoo() {
    fmt.Println(foo)
}

func setGlobalFoo() {
    foo = "new value" // note just = not :=
}