The TRUTH About Golang Backend Frameworks

Summary

The script discusses the dilemma of choosing a Go framework for building backend APIs, comparing it to the 'JavaScript problem' of too many options. It reviews frameworks like Gin, Chi, Fiber, Echo, and HTTP router, highlighting their similarities and suggesting that often, the standard library suffices. The speaker advocates starting with Go's standard library and only using external libraries for specific use cases, recommending HTTP router for its simplicity and closeness to the standard library.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Choosing a Go framework can be overwhelming due to the multitude of options available.
• 🤔 The 'JavaScript problem' refers to having too many tools or frameworks to choose from without a clear need.
• 📚 Popular Go frameworks for backend API development include Gin, Qi, Fiber, Echo, and others.
• 🧩 Many Go frameworks are essentially wrappers around the standard library, offering similar functionalities.
• 🚀 Gin is noted for its high performance, up to 40 times faster thanks to http router.
• 🌐 Echo is highlighted for its optimized HTTP router with smartly prioritized routes.
• 🛠️ Qi is described as lightweight, idiomatic, and composable for building HTTP services.
• 🌟 The presenter recommends starting with the standard library and not relying on external frameworks unless necessary.
• 🔄 There's no 'right' framework in Go; it's more about personal preference and specific use cases.
• 🔄 HTTP router by Julian Schmidt is recommended for its simplicity and closeness to the standard library.

Q & A

What is the 'JavaScript problem' mentioned in the script?

The 'JavaScript problem' refers to the overwhelming number of options for tools, libraries, and frameworks available, which can make it difficult to choose the right one for a specific application.

Why does the speaker suggest that there is no 'right' Go framework?

The speaker suggests that there is no 'right' Go framework because many of the frameworks essentially do the same thing, acting as wrappers on top of the standard library, and thus the choice often comes down to personal preference rather than necessity.

What are some of the Go frameworks mentioned in the script?

Some of the Go frameworks mentioned are Gin, Qi, Fiber, Echo, and Go Chi.

What does the speaker recommend for someone new to Go?

The speaker recommends starting with the standard library and not importing modules or frameworks unless they are necessary.

Why does the speaker recommend the HTTP router by Julian Schmidt?

The speaker recommends HTTP router by Julian Schmidt because it is the closest to the standard library and requires minimal additional resources, providing just the router functionality needed.

What is the main similarity the speaker points out among the Go frameworks?

The main similarity is that all the frameworks follow a similar pattern of creating instances, defining routes, and passing handlers or JSON payloads.

What is the speaker's stance on using frameworks for creating routes or middleware in Go?

The speaker believes that using frameworks for creating routes or middleware in Go is not necessary since these functionalities can be achieved with the standard library alone.

What is the 'Pokemon' reference in the script about?

The 'Pokemon' reference is a humorous way the speaker uses to indicate that there are so many Go frameworks that they can be confusing, similar to the vast number of Pokemon.

What is the challenge the speaker issues to the audience at the end of the script?

The challenge is for the audience to try to replicate their application's functionality using only the standard library, after removing any frameworks they were using.

What is the main takeaway from the script regarding Go frameworks?

The main takeaway is that one should not get caught up in choosing the 'best' framework but instead focus on using the standard library and only introduce frameworks for specific use cases where they provide clear benefits.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Choosing the Right Go Framework for Your API

This paragraph discusses the dilemma of selecting a Go framework for building a backend API. It emphasizes the need to focus on frameworks suitable for API development rather than CLI tools. The author highlights the popularity of Cobra and Gin but warns against the 'JavaScript problem,' where an abundance of options can lead to confusion. The paragraph then compares several Go frameworks like Chi, Gin, Fiber, Echo, and Vulpix (a playful reference to a Pokémon), noting that many of these are essentially wrappers around the standard library. The author suggests that there's no 'right' framework and that the choice should be based on specific use cases rather than general popularity.

05:03

📚 Leveraging the Standard Library in Go

The second paragraph offers advice for newcomers to Go, suggesting that they should rely on the standard library as much as possible before introducing external modules or frameworks. The author recommends the HTTP router by Julian Schmidt for its simplicity and closeness to the standard library. The paragraph encourages exploring the standard library first, as it often provides robust solutions out-of-the-box. The author also acknowledges the existence of specialized libraries for tasks like email sending or handling JWTs but emphasizes the importance of understanding and utilizing the standard library before seeking external dependencies.

Keywords

💡Go

Go, often referred to as Golang, is an open-source programming language developed by Google. It is statically typed, compiled, and syntactically similar to C. In the context of the video, Go is used for backend API development, highlighting its suitability for concurrent processes and network services.

💡Framework

A framework in software development provides a foundational structure, including a set of functionalities, that allows developers to build applications more efficiently. In the video, the speaker discusses various Go frameworks, emphasizing the need to choose the right one for backend API development.

💡API

API stands for Application Programming Interface, which is a set of rules and protocols for building and interacting with software applications. The video focuses on using Go frameworks to build backend services for APIs, which are crucial for front-end/back-end communication.

💡Cobra

Cobra is a Go library used for creating powerful modern CLI (Command Line Interface) applications. It is mentioned in the video as an example of a tool for CLI applications, not directly related to backend API development.

💡Chi

Chi is a lightweight, idiomatic and composable router for building Go HTTP services. The video uses Chi as an example of a Go framework that provides routing capabilities, which is a fundamental aspect of building web services and APIs.

💡Gin

Gin is a web framework written in Go, featuring a Martini-like API with much better performance. It is highlighted in the video as an example of a framework that offers performance improvements for web applications.

💡Fiber

Fiber is an Express inspired web framework built on top of Fasthttp, the fastest HTTP engine for Go. The video mentions Fiber to illustrate the variety of frameworks available in Go, each with its own approach to handling HTTP requests.

💡Echo

Echo is a high-performance, extensible, and minimalist Go web framework. It is used in the video to demonstrate the pattern of defining routes and middleware, which is common across many Go frameworks.

💡Standard Library

The Go standard library is a collection of packages that come with the Go distribution and provide core functionalities. The video encourages using the standard library for Go development, suggesting that it is often sufficient for building robust applications without additional frameworks.

💡HTTP Router

HTTP Router is a Go library by Julian Schmidt that provides a way to route HTTP requests. The video recommends HTTP Router as an example of a library that is close to the standard library, emphasizing its simplicity and effectiveness for routing in web applications.

💡Middleware

Middleware in web development is a function that has the ability to intercept and process HTTP requests and responses between the client and the server. The video discusses middleware in the context of defining routes in various Go frameworks, showcasing how it can be used to handle common tasks like logging or authentication.

Highlights

The dilemma of choosing a Go framework for building a backend API.

Cobra and Charm are recommended for creating CLIs in Go.

The 'JavaScript problem' of having too many options without knowing the true need.

Go frameworks like Gin, Qi, Fiber, Echo, and Vulpix are compared.

Qi is described as a lightweight, idiomatic, and composable router.

Gin offers a Martini-like API with performance improvements.

Fiber is an Express-inspired framework built on FastHTTP.

Echo is optimized for building RESTful APIs.

Frameworks are essentially wrappers on top of the standard library.

Creating routes and middleware can be done with any framework.

HTTP router by Julian Schmidt is recommended for its simplicity and closeness to the standard library.

Frameworks follow a similar pattern for defining routes and handlers.

The importance of separating Go from JavaScript or other languages' mindsets.

Recommendation to start with the standard library before importing modules or frameworks.

Challenge to use the standard library to replicate framework functionality.

Encouragement to explore the standard library for built-in solutions.

The conclusion that there is no 'right' framework in Go, and the importance of choosing based on specific use cases.

Transcripts

if you are coding in go you have

probably asked yourself what go

framework should I use now I want to be

specific and focus on Frameworks that

people would typically use when they're

building a go backend for their API and

not so much Frameworks they would use

for creating something like acli which

if you haven't heard already Cobra and

charm are great options so go use them

it doesn't take a whole lot of effort to

do one quick Google search on what go

framework to use to see a whole bunch of

lists pop up and then you get yourself

into what I like to call the JavaScript

problem the JavaScript problem is when

there's too many options of what tool

Library framework to use without

actually knowing which one you truly

need and want for your applications in

JavaScript is react view svelte solid

Astro next I mean it's JavaScript the

ecosystem is evolving and changing every

single day but in go I mean there's also

a lot of options there's gin there's Qi

there's fiber there's Echo there's

Vulpix that's a Pokemon I

try to trick you

the very best which framework is right

for them well that's the actual thing

there is no right framework in go so you

can see here I'm on go Chi and if I just

read the first bit of the readme QI is a

lightweight idiomatic and composable

router for building go HTTP Services if

I flip to go Jin Jin is a web framework

writ and go it features a martini lick

API with performance that is up to 40

times faster thanks to http router if

you check out go fiber fiber is an

Express inspired web framework built on

top of fast HTTP the fastest HTTP engine

for go and if we check go Echo we can do

some of the featured overviews optimized

HP router with smartly prioritized

routes build robust and scalable restful

apis have you noticed a pattern you see

a lot of these libraries in go these

Frameworks are essentially doing the

same thing they are just rappers on top

of the standard library that go offers

and this isn't necessary that's a sad

thing and I'm not saying all of these

are the exact same but when you are

focusing on just creating routes or

middleware or anything like that you can

pick any of them here we're back on go

Chi and you can see this example as easy

as you have your import so there's Qi

there's a standard HTTP library and

they're in your function main you create

your new router using Chi Library you

create the middleware and you're

designing a route here this get route

with a response that just says welcome

looks super simple wow Qi is great all

right let's flip on to Jen for a second

gin you have your import net HTTP and

Jin okay awesome so you create gin dot

default and oh oh you define your route

that has a response okay cool this is

great this is awesome how about we check

out fiber for a second you have your

import fiber and oh oh app fiber.new and

you define

this looks almost exactly the same you

have to get route that just says hello

world okay well how about we check out

Echo for real quickly just you know just

to check out how different can it be and

oh you create your new Echo instance

okay middleware or all right and you you

get route

with a response that says hello world

you can see that all of them followed

the same pattern and yes Jin and Chi may

have things that provide more use case

in a fully fleshed out library and

framework to use but at the end of the

day you create the instant you define

your get or post route and you pass it a

function or literally a Json payload and

it just does what you tell it to the

Handler respond to the route how you

define it and it looks the exact same

way for every single one and just to

Showcase another example one that I

personally recommend is HTTP router by

Julian Schmidt because this is the

closest to the standard library that you

can get between all the examples I

previously showed you can see here

Define two handlers index and hello you

define your routes by instantiating HTTP

router from the library you pull in and

then you have a two dot get map method

on these two routes declared and they

will pass the function of the Handler

and so what I really want to kind of

convey and what I always talk about when

I explain go to someone is that you have

to separate your thinking of go from

JavaScript if you're coming from that

world or any other world because go you

can truly do everything with the

standard Library go isn't that program

language where you should be picky and

really pulling resources or deciding

which framework is right for you of

course you can use particular use cases

that you can read about and really

discover that huh this really solved the

problem I have I'm going to use and

that's pretty perfectly fine but if

you're spending time spinning your

wheels on deciding from all the frames

that you see from a best framework to

use in 2023 list you're wasting your

time what I recommend to everyone who's

starting with go is essentially try to

do things using just the standard

Library don't start importing modules or

Frameworks if you don't need them

they're all the same but why am I

recommending HTTP router milk didn't you

just say try to make it yourself and

that's a valid point but like I said

earlier HTTP router is the closest one

to the standard library and that is why

I personally like it you don't need to

bring anything new it's simply just a

router that gives you everything you

need to fully pass in any Handler you

decide to create and there's other

libraries and Frameworks they can use in

the go ecosystem richest people always

developing new things to use if you want

to use something for sending emails or

specifically handling you know crypto

hashes or jaw tokens or anything like

that there's something that there for

you but use a standard Library explore

the standard Library first you'll be

surprised on how well and defined those

things come stock in the go ecosystem so

with that guys I gotta leave you with

two things out of all of the Frameworks

I just decided and listed which one have

you used for your go application and if

you if you used one I challenge you to

use the standard Library remove that

framework from your app and just try

replicating it with the standard library

and let me know if you're successful or

not and two

you gotta power it