gofetch - A Lightweight and Efficient HTTP Client for Go

gofetch is a lightweight, high-performance HTTP client designed to simplify making HTTP requests in Go. Built on top of Go’s standard net/http package, gofetch provides a clean, intuitive API with minimal configuration while offering powerful features like request timeouts, debugging, and structured error handling.

This project started as a personal exploration of HTTP clients in Go. Over time, it evolved into a practical tool, which I continue to maintain and improve.

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🚀 Features

• Simplified API – Easy-to-use methods for common HTTP operations.
• Minimal Dependencies – Uses only Go's standard library.
• Built-in Debugging – Toggle request/response debugging on or off.
• Customizable Configuration – Set timeouts, headers, and other options.
• Convenient Response Handling – Access response status, body, and errors easily.
• Flexible Query Parameters & Headers – Use structured input for cleaner code.

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📦 Installation

 go get -u github.com/nanafox/gofetch

Then import it into your Go project:

import "github.com/nanafox/gofetch"

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🔧 Configuration

You can create a gofetch client with optional configurations:

client := gofetch.New(gofetch.Config{
    Timeout: 5 * time.Second,
    Debug: true,
})

NOTE:: If no configuration is provided, gofetch uses sensible defaults:

• Timeout: 500ms
• Debug: false

You can also update the configuration later:

client.Config.Debug = true  // Enable debugging
client.Config.Timeout = 10 * time.Second  // Change timeout

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🌍 Making HTTP Requests

gofetch provides convenient methods for making HTTP requests:

1️⃣ GET Request

Get Method Signature

package gofetch

// Get handles HTTP Get requests
func (api *Client) Get(url string, query []Query, headers ...Header)

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "log"
    "github.com/nanafox/gofetch"
)

func main() {
    client := gofetch.New()
    url := "https://httpbin.org/get"
 
    client.Get(url, nil)
 
    if client.Error != nil {
        log.Fatal(client.Error)
    }
 
    fmt.Println("Response:", client.Body)
}

✅ With Query Parameters

queryParams := []gofetch.Query{
    {Key: "search", Value: "gofetch"},
    {Key: "page", Value: "1"},
}
client.Get("https://httpbin.org/get", queryParams)

✅ With Custom Headers

headers := []gofetch.Header{
    {Key: "Authorization", Value: "Bearer token123"},
    {Key: "User-Agent", Value: "gofetch-client"},
}
client.Get("https://httpbin.org/get", nil, headers...)

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2️⃣ POST Request

Post Method Signature

package gofetch

// Get handles HTTP POST requests
func (api *Client) Post(url string, query []Query, body io.Reader, headers ...Header)

body := `{ "username": "johndoe", "password": "secret" }`
headers := []gofetch.Header{{Key: "Content-Type", Value: "application/json"}}

client.Post("https://httpbin.org/post", nil, body, headers...)

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3️⃣ PUT Request

Put Method Signature

package gofetch

// Get handles HTTP PUT requests
func (api *Client) Put(url string, query []Query, body io.Reader, headers ...Header)

body := `{ "name": "Updated Name" }`
client.Put("https://httpbin.org/put", nil, body)

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4️⃣ DELETE Request

Delete Method Signature

package gofetch

// Delete performs an API DELETE request.
func (api *Client) Delete(url string, query []Query, body io.Reader, headers ...Header)

Example

client.Delete("https://httpbin.org/delete", nil, nil)

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🛠 Using Do() for Flexible Requests

If you need more control, Do() lets you specify the HTTP method:

client.Do("PATCH", "https://httpbin.org/patch", nil, `{"updated": true}`)

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🕵️ Debugging & Error Handling

✅ Enable Debug Mode

Set Debug: true in the configuration to print request/response details:

client := gofetch.New(gofetch.Config{Debug: true})
client.Get("https://httpbin.org/get", nil)
fmt.Println(client.GetDebugInfo())

✅ Handling Errors

If an error occurs, client.Error will contain details:

if client.Error != nil {
    log.Fatalf("Request failed: %v", client.Error)
}

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🔥 Why Use gofetch?

• 🏎 Faster development – Write clean, readable HTTP requests quickly.
• 🎯 Minimalist & Lightweight – No external dependencies.
• 🔍 Debugging Friendly – Get request/response details easily.
• 💡 Customizable – Supports timeouts, headers, query params, and more.

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📜 License

gofetch is open-source and licensed under the MIT License.

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❤️ Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to open issues or submit pull requests.

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📫 Contact

• Author: Maxwell Nana Forson (theLazyProgrammer)
• X: @_nanafox
• GitHub: @nanafox
• Website: www.mnforson.live

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Check the Reference

Happy coding! 🚀