Creating a Basic HTTP Server in Go

Let's create a simple HTTP server that responds with "Hello, World!" when accessed. This will serve as your first step into the world of Go programming.

Understanding the net/http Package

The net/http package in Go is a powerful tool for creating HTTP servers and clients. It provides a simple and efficient way to handle HTTP requests and responses.

Let's create a new file named main.go and open it in your preferred code editor.

Here's the code you need to write in main.go:

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "net/http"
)

func main() {
    http.HandleFunc("/", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
        fmt.Fprint(w, "Hello, World!")
    })

    http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil)
}

In this code, we're defining a function that handles HTTP requests. When a request comes in, it writes "Hello, World!" to the response writer.

Running Your Server

Open your terminal, navigate to the directory containing your main.go file, and run the following command:

go run main.go

This command compiles and runs your Go program.

Testing Your Server

Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost:8080. You should see "Hello, World!" displayed on the webpage.

Congratulations! You've just created your first webpage using Go. This is a basic example, but it's a great start for understanding how Go handles HTTP requests and responses.