Building URL Shorteners in Go: A Tale of Two Frameworks
URL shorteners are a classic example of how simple tools can make a big impact. Whether you’re sharing links on social media or sending them in a text, shorter URLs are easier to manage and look clean.
In this blog post, I’ll walk you through these two URL shortener projects that are lightweight and very quick to create, they are both built-in Go: one using the Gin framework and the other using Gorilla Mux.
Each brings a unique approach to the table, and I’ll highlight their features and differences.
~ Source Code: Found here
URL Shortener with GUI: Feature-Rich and Intuitive
Let’s start with the first project—a URL shortener that goes beyond a simple API. It includes both a REST API backend and a desktop GUI application, making it accessible for developers and non-technical users alike. This project uses the Gin framework for its backend and Fyne for the GUI.
Key Features
REST API Backend
The Gin framework powers a fast and reliable API for shortening and redirecting URLs. It’s lightweight yet robust, perfect for this use case.Desktop GUI
Built with the Fyne framework, the GUI is clean, minimalistic, and easy to use. It enables users to shorten URLs without needing to touch a terminal.Secure and Random Keys
The short URLs are generated using secure random values, ensuring uniqueness and reducing the chances of collisions.Dual Access
Whether you’re comfortable with REST APIs or prefer a GUI, this project has you covered.
Getting Started
To get started, clone the repository and install the necessary external Go packages:
git clone https://github.com/SirTingling/cloudprojects.git cd url-shortener go get -u github.com/gin-gonic/gin go get -u fyne.io/fyne/v2
Running the App
- Backend Server
Run the backend server with:
go run server.go
The server will start at http://localhost:8080.
- Desktop GUI
Launch the GUI application with:
go run gui.go
This opens a simple window where you can input long URLs and get shortened links in return.
How does it work?
- API Endpoints:
POST /shorten: Accepts a long URL and returns a short URL.
GET /:short: Redirects the short URL to the original URL.
- GUI Workflow:
- Enter the long URL.
- Click "Shorten URL".
- Copy the shortened link and share it.
The inclusion of a GUI makes it more versatile than a typical backend-only application.
URL Shortener V2: Lightweight and Straightforward
The second project is all about simplicity. Built with Gorilla Mux, it focuses on providing a basic yet functional URL shortener. If you’re looking for a lightweight solution that gets the job done, this is the one, my friends.
Key Features
- Gorilla Mux for Routing
Gorilla Mux is a powerful router for Go, and it’s used here to handle all the HTTP endpoints.
- MD5-Based Key Generation
Shortened URLs are created using an MD5 hash of the original URL. Yes, I do agree, that it’s not as secure as random generation, nevertheless, it’s efficient and ensures deterministic results.
- In-Memory Storage
The shortener uses a simple in-memory map to store URLs. This makes it fast, though it’s not ideal for production-scale applications.
- Minimal Dependencies
With only Gorilla Mux as an external dependency, this project is easy to set up and deploy.
Let's Go!
git clone https://github.com/SirTingling/cloudprojects.git cd url-shortener go get -u github.com/gin-gonic/gin go get -u fyne.io/fyne/v2
Running the App
- Start the server with:
go run server.go
The server will run at http://localhost:8080.
How It Works
- Create Short URL:
- Send a POST request to /create with the url parameter:
go run gui.go
- Response:
git clone <repository-url> cd url-shortener go get -u github.com/gorilla/mux
- Redirect: Access the shortened URL
go run main.go
This redirects to the original URL.
Honestly, it’s quick to implement and works well as a learning project or for small-scale use cases. I liked it as a quick mini-project.
Comparing the Two Approaches
Here’s a quick breakdown of the differences:
Feature | URL Shortener with GUI (Gin) | URL Shortener V2 (Mux) | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gin | Gorilla Mux | ||||||||||||||||||
Frontend | Desktop GUI (Fyne) | None | ||||||||||||||||||
URL Key Generation | Secure Random Values | MD5 Hash | ||||||||||||||||||
Storage | Not Specified | In-Memory | ||||||||||||||||||
Complexity | Moderate | Simple |
Working with both approaches was straightforward in my personal opinion and I hope you guys will give them both a try as they can both be used in many different scenarios outside of URL shortening.
The Gin-based solution is ideal for those who want an all-in-one tool with a user interface, while the Mux-based version is perfect for lightweight, API-only use cases.
Thanks for tuning in again to my mini-project adventure with Go (and many more languages & tools). I'll catch you guys in the next one! Cheers!! ?
The above is the detailed content of URL Shortener in Go. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

Hot AI Tools

Undress AI Tool
Undress images for free

Undresser.AI Undress
AI-powered app for creating realistic nude photos

AI Clothes Remover
Online AI tool for removing clothes from photos.

Clothoff.io
AI clothes remover

Video Face Swap
Swap faces in any video effortlessly with our completely free AI face swap tool!

Hot Article

Hot Tools

Notepad++7.3.1
Easy-to-use and free code editor

SublimeText3 Chinese version
Chinese version, very easy to use

Zend Studio 13.0.1
Powerful PHP integrated development environment

Dreamweaver CS6
Visual web development tools

SublimeText3 Mac version
God-level code editing software (SublimeText3)

Hot Topics

Go compiles the program into a standalone binary by default, the main reason is static linking. 1. Simpler deployment: no additional installation of dependency libraries, can be run directly across Linux distributions; 2. Larger binary size: Including all dependencies causes file size to increase, but can be optimized through building flags or compression tools; 3. Higher predictability and security: avoid risks brought about by changes in external library versions and enhance stability; 4. Limited operation flexibility: cannot hot update of shared libraries, and recompile and deployment are required to fix dependency vulnerabilities. These features make Go suitable for CLI tools, microservices and other scenarios, but trade-offs are needed in environments where storage is restricted or relies on centralized management.

Goensuresmemorysafetywithoutmanualmanagementthroughautomaticgarbagecollection,nopointerarithmetic,safeconcurrency,andruntimechecks.First,Go’sgarbagecollectorautomaticallyreclaimsunusedmemory,preventingleaksanddanglingpointers.Second,itdisallowspointe

To create a buffer channel in Go, just specify the capacity parameters in the make function. The buffer channel allows the sending operation to temporarily store data when there is no receiver, as long as the specified capacity is not exceeded. For example, ch:=make(chanint,10) creates a buffer channel that can store up to 10 integer values; unlike unbuffered channels, data will not be blocked immediately when sending, but the data will be temporarily stored in the buffer until it is taken away by the receiver; when using it, please note: 1. The capacity setting should be reasonable to avoid memory waste or frequent blocking; 2. The buffer needs to prevent memory problems from being accumulated indefinitely in the buffer; 3. The signal can be passed by the chanstruct{} type to save resources; common scenarios include controlling the number of concurrency, producer-consumer models and differentiation

Go is ideal for system programming because it combines the performance of compiled languages ??such as C with the ease of use and security of modern languages. 1. In terms of file and directory operations, Go's os package supports creation, deletion, renaming and checking whether files and directories exist. Use os.ReadFile to read the entire file in one line of code, which is suitable for writing backup scripts or log processing tools; 2. In terms of process management, the exec.Command function of the os/exec package can execute external commands, capture output, set environment variables, redirect input and output flows, and control process life cycles, which are suitable for automation tools and deployment scripts; 3. In terms of network and concurrency, the net package supports TCP/UDP programming, DNS query and original sets.

In Go language, calling a structure method requires first defining the structure and the method that binds the receiver, and accessing it using a point number. After defining the structure Rectangle, the method can be declared through the value receiver or the pointer receiver; 1. Use the value receiver such as func(rRectangle)Area()int and directly call it through rect.Area(); 2. If you need to modify the structure, use the pointer receiver such as func(r*Rectangle)SetWidth(...), and Go will automatically handle the conversion of pointers and values; 3. When embedding the structure, the method of embedded structure will be improved, and it can be called directly through the outer structure; 4. Go does not need to force use getter/setter,

In Go, an interface is a type that defines behavior without specifying implementation. An interface consists of method signatures, and any type that implements these methods automatically satisfy the interface. For example, if you define a Speaker interface that contains the Speak() method, all types that implement the method can be considered Speaker. Interfaces are suitable for writing common functions, abstract implementation details, and using mock objects in testing. Defining an interface uses the interface keyword and lists method signatures, without explicitly declaring the type to implement the interface. Common use cases include logs, formatting, abstractions of different databases or services, and notification systems. For example, both Dog and Robot types can implement Speak methods and pass them to the same Anno

In Go language, string operations are mainly implemented through strings package and built-in functions. 1.strings.Contains() is used to determine whether a string contains a substring and returns a Boolean value; 2.strings.Index() can find the location where the substring appears for the first time, and if it does not exist, it returns -1; 3.strings.ReplaceAll() can replace all matching substrings, and can also control the number of replacements through strings.Replace(); 4.len() function is used to obtain the length of the bytes of the string, but when processing Unicode, you need to pay attention to the difference between characters and bytes. These functions are often used in scenarios such as data filtering, text parsing, and string processing.

TheGoiopackageprovidesinterfaceslikeReaderandWritertohandleI/Ooperationsuniformlyacrosssources.1.io.Reader'sReadmethodenablesreadingfromvarioussourcessuchasfilesorHTTPresponses.2.io.Writer'sWritemethodfacilitateswritingtodestinationslikestandardoutpu
