HTTP Servers

What You'll Cover Today

Day 3 of Go in 5 Days focuses on http servers. net/http, routing with chi or gorilla/mux, middleware, JSON APIs. This lesson gives you the conceptual foundation and a hands-on exercise so you leave with real working knowledge, not just theory.

net/http

Understanding net/http is foundational for everything in this course. The core idea is straightforward once you see it in practice: most complexity comes from edge cases, not the happy path. Start by getting the basic case working, then handle edge cases one at a time.

// HTTP Servers — working example
// Replace these values with your actual data

const example = {
  topic: 'net/http',
  day: 3,
  course: 'Go in 5 Days'
};

// This is where your implementation goes
function implement(config) {
  // 1. Validate inputs
  if (!config.topic) throw new Error('Topic required');
  
  // 2. Core logic
  const result = process(config);
  
  // 3. Return structured output
  return result;
}

console.log('Ready to implement net/http');

middleware

Once you have the basics, middleware becomes the practical application. The pattern you'll use most often is: configure once, reuse everywhere. Avoid copy-pasting implementation details — abstract the repetitive parts into functions or classes.

Common Mistakes on Day 3

• Skipping error handling — every real-world implementation needs error handling. Add it from the start, not as an afterthought.
• Hard-coding configuration — use environment variables for anything that differs between development and production.
• Not reading error messages — error messages in Go are usually precise. Read them carefully before searching Stack Overflow.
• Over-abstracting too early — make it work first, then refactor. Premature abstraction is the enemy of progress.