Go Foundations·Clarity, then concurrency

A standard-library HTTP service

Go’s net/http package is enough for a small, dependable JSON API.

Beginner 15 min read Lesson 10 of 300 Challenge included

What you will be able to do

Set ReadHeaderTimeout and other server timeouts.
Use http.MaxBytesReader to bound request bodies.
Return problem-style JSON and appropriate status codes.

In plain English

Register handlers, read JSON with a limit, validate, and write a status code before the body. Use server timeouts and graceful shutdown. Keep handlers thin and put business rules in functions you can test.

main.goGo

package main

import (
    "encoding/json"
    "net/http"
    "time"
)

func health(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
    w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
    json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]bool{"ok": true})
}

func main() {
    mux := http.NewServeMux()
    mux.HandleFunc("GET /api/health", health)

    server := &http.Server{
        Addr:              ":3000",
        Handler:           mux,
        ReadHeaderTimeout: 5 * time.Second,
    }
    server.ListenAndServe()
}

Your turn

Add a health endpoint

Medium

GO · starter

mux := http.NewServeMux()

Check your understanding before moving on.

Knowledge checkQuestion 1

Which method bounds the size of a request body?

Select an answer to continue

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Next: Drill 1: Summarise — Variables and control flow

Lesson 10 of 300 · 0% of course