Web Development
Go is widely used for building high-performance web servers and APIs. Its standard library provides powerful primitives for HTTP, routing, and JSON handling, while popular frameworks like Gin and Echo offer higher-level abstractions. This module introduces Go web development from the perspective of JavaScript/Node.js developers, with practical code comparisons and best practices.
Go Web Development Overview
- Standard Library:
net/httpfor HTTP servers, routing, middleware - Popular Frameworks: Gin, Echo, Fiber, Chi
- Key Features: Simplicity, performance, static typing, concurrency
- Common Use Cases: RESTful APIs, microservices, static file serving, real-time services
Hello World: Minimal HTTP Server
Routing and Parameters
Go's standard library provides basic routing. For more advanced routing, use frameworks like Gin or Echo.
Handling JSON Requests and Responses
Serving Static Files
Middleware
Middleware in Go is typically implemented as handler wrappers. Frameworks like Gin/Echo provide convenient middleware support.
Comparison: Go vs JavaScript/Node.js
| Feature | Go (net/http, Gin) | JavaScript (Node.js, Express) |
|---|---|---|
| Typing | Static, strong | Dynamic, weak |
| Concurrency | Goroutines, channels | Event loop, async/await |
| Performance | High, compiled | Good, interpreted |
| Routing | Basic in stdlib, rich in Gin | Express, Koa, Fastify |
| Middleware | Handler wrappers, Gin/Echo | Express/Koa middleware |
| JSON Handling | encoding/json, struct tags | JSON.parse/stringify, body-parser |
| Static Files | FileServer | express.static |
| Error Handling | Explicit, error values | try/catch, error middleware |
Best Practices
- Use context for request-scoped values and cancellation
- Validate and sanitize input
- Handle errors explicitly and return proper status codes
- Use middleware for logging, authentication, CORS, etc.
- Prefer frameworks (Gin, Echo) for complex projects
- Write tests for handlers and middleware
Practice Questions
- How does Go's
net/httpdiffer from Node.js's HTTP module? - Show how to handle JSON requests and responses in Go and Node.js.
- What are the advantages of using Gin or Echo over the standard library?
Project Idea
Build a simple RESTful API in Go that supports CRUD operations for a resource (e.g., tasks or users). Implement routing, JSON handling, and middleware for logging. Compare your implementation with a Node.js/Express version.