Go services · 3 MIN READ

An HTTP request has a lifecycle and a budget

Separate request parsing, domain work, downstream deadlines and response writing.

A Go web service is more than a route callback. Every request consumes a connection, parsing work, application time and possibly downstream capacity. Give those resources explicit lifetimes. This lesson describes native server code; guest Go programs in the app cannot open network sockets.

Keep the boundary small

A handler translates a protocol into an application operation: validate input, call a service with the request context, then map the result to a response. Domain logic should not need a ResponseWriter. If the client leaves, the request context can notify cooperative downstream work.

Configure a server rather than only a callback

This is a native-server configuration fragment. Header and idle timeouts address specific connection phases; they are not a complete business-operation deadline. WriteTimeout must fit the response type, especially streaming, rather than being copied blindly.

srv := &http.Server{
    Addr:              ":8080",
    Handler:           handler,
    ReadHeaderTimeout: 5 * time.Second,
    IdleTimeout:       60 * time.Second,
}
// Start srv and arrange graceful shutdown in the owning process.

Read the code

The values are illustrative. Add request-body limits, operation-specific deadlines and response policies based on the API. A timeout does not undo an operation the remote service already committed.

Choose HTTP when it matches the problem

HTTP APIs fit request/response interactions and interoperability. A batch program or local library may need no server at all. Test handlers with httptest and in-memory requests before deployment. In-memory handler tests check application behavior; they do not prove production TLS, socket, proxy or load-balancer configuration.

TAKE THIS WITH YOU

A handler is an adapter with explicit resource limits. Pass context into the application and test protocol behavior without requiring a running network service.

Check your understanding

Which statement is correct about an http adapter?

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