Go: how to create an HTTP client and server

Go, also known as Golang, is an open-source programming language created by Google. Its simple syntax, speed of execution, and native support for networking make it ideal for developing web applications. In this article, well explore how to create an HTTP client and server using Go, providing code examples to help you get started.

Create the HTTP Server

Lets start by creating a basic HTTP server using Go.

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "net/http"
)

func helloHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
    fmt.Fprintf(w, "Ciao, benvenuto sul nostro server HTTP in Go!")
}



func main() {
    http.HandleFunc("/", helloHandler)

    httpPort := ":8080"
    fmt.Printf("Server in ascolto su http://localhost%s\n", httpPort)
    err := http.ListenAndServe(httpPort, nil)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
}

In this example, weve created a simple handler called helloHandler , which will respond with a welcome message when the client makes a request to the root ("/") of the server. Next, we registered the handler using http.HandleFunc("/", helloHandler) , which binds the handler to the specified URL. Finally, we start the server by calling http.ListenAndServe .

Create the HTTP Client

Now that we have a working HTTP server, lets see how to create an HTTP client in Go to interact with the server.

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "net/http"
    "io/ioutil"
)


func main() {
    serverAddr := "http://localhost:8080"
    response, err := http.Get(serverAddr)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
    defer response.Body.Close()

    body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(response.Body)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }

    fmt.Println("Risposta dal server:")
    fmt.Println(string(body))
}

In this example, we used http.Get to make a GET request to the server specified by serverAddr . Next, we read the response body and printed the content obtained from the server.

Conclusion

In this article, you learned how to create an HTTP client and server in Go. This guide has given you a solid foundation to start developing web applications in Go. You can further explore the vast ecosystem of libraries and tools that Go offers to improve and scale your web applications.