How To Make HTTP Requests in Go?
Overview
HTTP is used for communication between multiple programs. The Golang standard library has excellent support for all tasks related to HTTP. Go net/http package supports the creation of an HTTP server, but it also makes HTTP requests as a client. In this article, we will explore all about golang HTTP.
Introduction
HTTP is Hypertext Transfer Protocol that is used for client-server communication. In Golang we use the net/http standard library for doing operations related to HTTP. This library sends HTTP requests and receives HTTP responses from a resource identified by an URL.
Prerequisites
- Go version 1.16 or greater installed.
- Basic understanding of HTTP and its method.
- Server details if you want a custom response for your golang HTTP calls.
Making a GET Request
For making any HTTP call with the net/http package we need to create a client which must have an HTTP method.
To make a Get HTTP call we can use either the http.Get() method or http.Request(). Let's implement examples using both.
Using http.Get to Make a Request
The below example shows how to make a GET Golang HTTP call with the help of http.Get() method.
Output:
Using http.Request to Make a Request
The below example shows how to make a GET Golang HTTP call with the help of http.Request() method.
Output:
Sending a POST Request
The example below shows how to make a POST Golang HTTP call.
Output:
Customizing an HTTP Request
The below example shows how we can add a custom header and a timeout to our Golang HTTP Client.
Conclusion
- Understood the Golang HTTP library.
- Implemented examples to execute Golang HTTP calls.