We may earn an affiliate commission when you visit our partners.
Course image
Harrison Kong

In this 1.5-hour long guided project, you will create a web server that serves electronic manual pages with Golang's built-in packages.

Go (also known as Golang) is a programming language that is created, supported, and used by Google and many major organizations. It is particularly suitable for internet applications thank to its ready-to-use packages. We will cover serving HTML contents with HTTP protocols, as well as preventing malicious access with regular expressions.

Read more

In this 1.5-hour long guided project, you will create a web server that serves electronic manual pages with Golang's built-in packages.

Go (also known as Golang) is a programming language that is created, supported, and used by Google and many major organizations. It is particularly suitable for internet applications thank to its ready-to-use packages. We will cover serving HTML contents with HTTP protocols, as well as preventing malicious access with regular expressions.

This course is aimed at learners who are proficient with core Golang (variables, data types, flow control, functions, packages) and experience with HTML. Knowledge of HTTP protocol is helpful but not required. "Golang for Beginners: Data Types, Functions, and Packages" highly recommended as a prerequisite.

Enroll now

What's inside

Syllabus

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Offers a hands-on, guided project that allows learners to create a web server
Introduces learners to using Golang's built-in packages for serving electronic manual pages
Aimed at learners proficient with core Golang (variables, data types, flow control, functions, packages) and experience with HTML
Assumes learners have knowledge of HTTP protocol (not required, but helpful)
Recommends taking 'Golang for Beginners: Data Types, Functions, and Packages' course as a prerequisite
Covers serving HTML contents with HTTP protocols and preventing malicious access with regular expressions

Save this course

Create your own learning path. Save this course to your list so you can find it easily later.
Save

Reviews summary

Practical go web server building

According to learners, this course provides an excellent hands-on experience in building a web server with Go, praised for its clear and concise instruction and practical application. Students found it builds a solid foundation for backend development, especially noting the effective use of Go's built-in packages and explanation of security with regular expressions. While many found the pace just right and appreciated its short, efficient format, some cautioned that meeting the prerequisites is crucial as it moves quickly and doesn't delve deeply into every concept.
A brief, guided project that is effective for its short duration.
"Absolutely loved this project! It was short, sweet, and to the point."
"Very efficient use of time."
"This course delivers on its promise. It's a quick, guided project to get a backend server running."
"I appreciate how much I learned and achieved in such a short timeframe."
Instructor provides clear explanations and maintains a good learning pace.
"The instructor was very clear and the pace was just right for someone with intermediate Go skills."
"It's clear, concise, and useful for adding a practical project to your portfolio. Instructor was knowledgeable."
"Absolutely loved this project! It was short, sweet, and to the point."
"I found the guidance provided by the instructor to be very helpful and encouraging."
Emphasis on hands-on coding for real-world Go web development.
"This guided project was an excellent hands-on experience! ... I appreciated how it focused on practical application rather than just theory."
"A solid introduction to building a web server with Go. The project structure was easy to follow, and it definitely helped solidify my understanding..."
"Good practical project to apply Go skills. The hands-on coding really reinforced the concepts."
"I learned to apply Go to build a functional backend server for a specific use case."
Being a short project, it offers foundational knowledge, not advanced.
"My only minor gripe is that it could have delved a bit deeper into error handling for more robust applications, but for 1.5 hours, it's great."
"I wished there were a few more challenges or expansions to the project, but as a guided intro, it's very effective."
"The E-Manual server example was a bit simplistic, but it served its purpose well for a guided project."
"I understand it's a guided project, so it doesn't cover all advanced topics or complex error handling."
Requires solid prior Go and HTML knowledge; not for beginners.
"Not for absolute beginners. I came into this thinking my basic Go knowledge would be enough, but it moved too quickly on web-specific concepts..."
"I felt it moved a bit too fast in some parts, especially with the HTTP protocol explanations. If you don't, you might struggle."
"I struggled a bit without very strong Go fundamentals, making some sections challenging to grasp fully."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Backend Web Development with Go: Build an E-Manual Server with these activities:
Read "The Go Programming Language"
Deepen your understanding of Go's fundamentals and best practices.
Show steps
  • Read chapters on variables, data types, and flow control
  • Explore sections on functions, packages, and error handling
Delve into HTTP protocols
Strengthen your understanding of HTTP communication for effective web server development.
Browse courses on HTTP
Show steps
  • Study HTTP request-response cycle
  • Explore HTTP status codes
  • Practice sending HTTP requests
Regular Expression Drills
Enhance your ability to prevent malicious access by practicing with regular expression drills.
Browse courses on Regular Expressions
Show steps
  • Solve regex challenges and puzzles
  • Create regular expressions for specific patterns
Three other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all six activities
Design a sample web page
Apply your knowledge by crafting a basic web page, reinforcing your understanding of HTML and CSS.
Browse courses on Web Page Layout
Show steps
  • Plan the page structure and layout
  • Write HTML and CSS code for the page
  • Test and refine the web page
Collaborate on a web server project
Reinforce your learning by working with peers to build a more complex web server.
Show steps
  • Form a study group and assign roles
  • Contribute to different components of the web server
  • Review and provide feedback on each other's code
Participate in a web server hackathon
Test your skills and push your boundaries by participating in a web server hackathon.
Show steps
  • Find a relevant hackathon and register
  • Form or join a team
  • Develop a creative and innovative web server solution

Career center

Learners who complete Backend Web Development with Go: Build an E-Manual Server will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We've selected 50 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Backend Web Development with Go: Build an E-Manual Server.
Revered across the web engineering industry as the foundational masterpiece on HTTP/1.1 semantics, Gourley and Totty dissect request/response message framing, persistent keep-alive connections, caching headers, forward/reverse proxies, and content negotiation in exhaustive detail.
Co-authored by Google's Go team lead Alan Donovan and C legend Brian Kernighan, this Addison-Wesley masterpiece remains the definitive canon on idiomatic Go syntax, composite types, interfaces, goroutines, channels, and reflection.
Updated thoroughly for modern Go generics, workspaces, structured logging, and context cancellation, Bodner's O'Reilly guide teaches experienced developers how to think in Go rather than transliterating Java or Python habits.
Analyzing how TCP slow-start, TLS 1.3 handshakes, and head-of-line blocking shaped the evolution from HTTP/1.1 to binary-framed HTTP/2 streams, Grigorik provides the definitive performance engineering guide to web transport.
Harsanyi catalogs subtle production pitfalls across slice capacity aliasing, interface nil comparisons, goroutine leaks, context misuse, memory alignment, and standard library HTTP timeouts. Every working Go engineer benefits from these concrete diagnostic case studies.
Is widely considered the definitive guide to regular expressions, offering comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the topic. It delves into the intricacies of regex engines and provides extensive examples across various programming languages, making it an invaluable reference for both beginners and experienced users. While not published recently, its foundational knowledge remains highly relevant.
Multiplexed binary streams, HPACK header compression, stream prioritization, server push pitfalls, and the transition toward QUIC and HTTP/3 are explained with packet-level diagrams and real server configurations by Barry Pollard.
Focuses specifically on responsive web design using HTML5 and CSS3, a crucial contemporary topic. It's ideal for those who have a basic understanding of HTML and CSS and want to learn how to build websites that adapt to different devices. It provides practical examples and techniques for modern web development.
Authored by Akamai chief architect Stephen Ludin and Javier Garza, this concise O'Reilly guide shows web developers and ops engineers how to inspect h2 frames in Wireshark and Chrome DevTools and stop legacy HTTP/1.1 anti-patterns like domain sharding.
Prometheus and Thanos maintainer Bartlomiej Plotka explains Go's garbage collector, escape analysis, stack vs. heap allocation, pprof profiling, and microbenchmarking so systems engineers can optimize throughput scientifically.
Cox-Buday unpacks the Go runtime scheduler (M:N work-stealing model), sync package primitives, channel pipelines, fan-out/fan-in patterns, and rate limiting. Clear diagrams make complex concurrent orchestration intuitive.
This cookbook provides a practical approach to learning regular expressions through a collection of over 140 recipes for common tasks. It demonstrates how to apply regex in various programming languages, making it an excellent resource for those who learn by doing. It's particularly useful as a reference tool for solving specific problems.
Following the popular Head First approach, this book uses a visually rich and engaging format to make learning HTML and CSS fun and effective. It focuses on understanding the 'why' behind concepts, which is beneficial for solidifying knowledge. While not the most recent, its teaching methodology makes it a valuable resource for beginners.
Practical guide specifically for configuring and managing the NGINX web server, a widely used and high-performance option. It covers recent features like HTTP/3 and QUIC, making it highly relevant for contemporary web server deployments. It's suitable for beginners setting up NGINX and experienced administrators looking to optimize their configurations. Published recently, it offers up-to-date information.
Based on the popular online guide, this book provides a structured approach to learning HTML and CSS. Shay Howe's online resources are well-regarded, suggesting this book would offer clear explanations and practical examples for beginners.
Travis Jeffery guides backend engineers through building resilient, production-grade distributed systems in Go. From protocol buffers and gRPC services to Raft consensus, distributed logs, and observability, it demonstrates Go's strengths in cloud infrastructure.
Employs a unique, interactive approach with short chapters and exercises designed for better retention. It focuses on building a strong understanding of the fundamentals of HTML and CSS. It's particularly useful for those who prefer a hands-on learning style.
Examines HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2, and QUIC/HTTP/3 from the wire protocol level upward, comparing how REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and WebSockets leverage transport semantics in modern distributed systems.
Co-authored by HTTP specification editor Roy Fielding's collaborator Mike Amundsen and Leonard Richardson, this classic demonstrates how HTTP methods, status codes, media types, and hypermedia controls implement the Uniform Interface architectural constraint.
Securing web communication with SSL/TLS critical aspect of web server administration. provides a comprehensive guide to implementing and configuring SSL/TLS correctly for secure web servers and applications. It's an essential resource for ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of web traffic.
A well-regarded book that provides a comprehensive introduction to web design, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It's structured like a textbook with exercises and quizzes, making it suitable for structured learning. is great for gaining a broad understanding of the web development landscape.
This cookbook provides practical recipes for common NGINX configurations and tasks, including load balancing, security, and performance tuning. It's an excellent resource for administrators who need hands-on examples and solutions for specific NGINX use cases. The third edition includes updated information and is relevant for current deployments.
Known for its clear and concise style, Murach's books are often used in educational settings. provides a solid reference and training guide for HTML5 and CSS3, covering essential concepts and responsive design. It's a good resource for both learning and looking up specific topics.
Codifying practical rules for URI path hierarchy, HTTP verb semantics (GET, PUT, POST, DELETE, PATCH), conditional ETag/If-None-Match caching headers, and status code selection, Masse helps API architects leverage native HTTP capabilities.
Saha focuses on building production CLI applications, HTTP servers, middleware chains, and gRPC services using Go's standard library, emphasizing testable interfaces and robust error handling.
Emphasizes an interactive approach to learning HTML and CSS, likely with hands-on exercises and projects. It's good for learners who want to actively practice coding while they learn and solidify their understanding through building.
Save
A practical guide focused on leveraging NGINX for high performance. dives into configuring NGINX for optimal speed and efficiency, covering topics like caching, compression, and connection management. It's a valuable resource for administrators looking to fine-tune their NGINX deployments.
Visual puzzles, annotated memory diagrams, and conversational exercises demystify pointers, slices, structs, interfaces, and goroutines for programmers who prefer an engaging, beginner-friendly ramp-up.
Securing web servers and applications critical aspect of web server management. delves into common web application vulnerabilities and mitigation techniques. It's highly relevant for understanding contemporary security challenges and valuable resource for developers and administrators responsible for securing web infrastructure.
This is the official documentation for the Apache HTTP Server, one of the most popular web servers globally. While not a traditional book, it serves as an exhaustive reference for all aspects of Apache configuration and management. It's an essential resource for anyone working with Apache, providing detailed information that complements broader web server knowledge. It is freely available as a PDF, but a printed version exists.
A quick and accessible guide for beginners to grasp the core concepts of HTML and CSS. It provides a simplified approach to building a coding foundation and understanding responsive design. is good for a rapid introduction to the subject.
This textbook focuses on responsive web design, building upon HTML5 and CSS concepts. It's likely used in educational settings and provides a structured approach to learning how to create websites that work across various devices. It's a solid resource for a deeper dive into responsive design.
Focuses specifically on mastering regular expressions within the Python programming language. It provides a clear picture of Python's regex interface and the 're' module. While it helps solidify understanding for Python users, additional advanced books might be needed for a deeper theoretical grasp.
Aimed at absolute beginners with basic Python knowledge, this book provides a step-by-step guide to using regular expressions within the Python ecosystem. It includes over 200 examples and exercises, covering both the standard 're' module and the third-party 'regex' module. is particularly useful for those focusing on Python-based applications of regex.
Modern HTTP on the open internet is almost exclusively HTTPS. Qualys SSL Labs creator Ivan Ristić provides the authoritative reference on TLS 1.3 handshakes, ALPN protocol negotiation, HSTS, OCSP stapling, and certificate transparency.
Ardan Labs founder Bill Kennedy and co-authors deliver a concise, mechanical-sympathy introduction to Go's type system, slice internals, method sets, concurrency patterns, and standard library tooling.
This comprehensive book aims to teach HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in a structured, time-based format. It's a valuable reference for beginners and intermediate learners looking for an all-in-one resource. While it covers a lot, the depth on HTML might be less than a dedicated HTML book.
Google security legend Michal Zalewski dissects how browsers parse HTTP headers, cookies, Same-Origin Policy boundaries, CORS preflight checks, and MIME-sniffing quirks—and how subtle ambiguities create critical web vulnerabilities.
Leiva and Kashin show infrastructure and NetDevOps engineers how Go's fast compilation, static binaries, and concurrency simplify SSH automation, gNMI streaming telemetry, OpenConfig, and Kubernetes networking.
Similar to the NGINX cookbook, this book offers practical solutions and examples for configuring and managing the Apache HTTP Server. It's a valuable reference for administrators looking for quick and effective ways to implement specific Apache features and resolve common issues.
Co-authored by Go co-creator Rob Pike and Brian Kernighan, this timeless Bell Labs treatise embodies the exact philosophy of simplicity, orthogonality, plain-text interfaces, and pragmatic debugging that gave birth to Go.
Provides a comprehensive introduction to deploying and managing applications on AWS, covering essential services relevant to web servers like EC2, load balancers, and databases. It includes hands-on projects and best practices for building scalable and highly available web architectures on AWS. It's suitable for developers and administrators working with AWS.
Serves as a gentle introduction to regular expressions, ideal for programmers new to the topic. It explains the fundamentals step-by-step with numerous examples, focusing on matching, extracting, and transforming text. It's a valuable resource for gaining foundational knowledge before moving on to more advanced texts.
Because Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, and Prometheus are all written in Go, Titmus demonstrates how to design cloud-native services with circuit breakers, retries, distributed tracing, and hot configuration reloads.
Understanding TCP/IP is fundamental to understanding web servers and how they communicate over the internet. provides a detailed yet accessible guide to the entire TCP/IP suite. It's an excellent resource for gaining prerequisite networking knowledge and is valuable for students and professionals alike, offering a solid foundation for comprehending web server operations.
While focusing on the browser side, this book offers critical insights into how web performance is impacted by network protocols, including HTTP/2 and TCP. Understanding these concepts is vital for optimizing web server configurations and performance. It's highly relevant for those looking to deepen their understanding of modern web architecture and is an excellent resource for professionals.
Offers a jargon-free introduction to HTML5, covering its new features and capabilities. It's helpful for beginners who want to understand the specifics of the latest HTML standard. While it might not cover every aspect in extreme detail, it's a great guide for getting started with HTML5.

Share

Help others find this course page by sharing it with your friends and followers:

Similar courses

Here are nine courses similar to Backend Web Development with Go: Build an E-Manual Server.
Coding for Beginners: An Easy Introduction
Most relevant
Developing a REST API with Go and Cloud Run
Most relevant
Linux Daemon with Go: Build a Webpage Database Crawler
Most relevant
Develop an ASP.NET Core web app that consumes an API
Most relevant
Programming and Application Foundations
Most relevant
Web Development in Node.js: Build Your First Website
Most relevant
HTTP Google Cloud Functions in Go
Most relevant
Web Application Security Testing with OWASP ZAP
Most relevant
The Complete SSL and TLS Guide: HTTP to HTTPS
Most relevant

Coursera Buyer Protection & Guarantee

Verified partner policies & purchase protections

Accredited University Partner
Free Trial & Audit

7-Day Free Trial & Free Audit

7-day free trial on monthly Coursera Plus subscriptions; free audit option available on most individual courses to explore video lectures and readings at no charge.

Return & Refund Policy

14-Day Refund Guarantee

14-day refund window on annual Coursera Plus subscriptions and single-course purchases prior to certificate issuance. Monthly subscriptions do not offer refunds once billed.

Buyer Protections

Verified Academic & Industry Partner

Accredited university and industry certifications (e.g. Stanford, Google, IBM, Yale), secure SSL payment processing, and verifiable digital certificate links.

Key Purchase Protections
14-day refund window on annual Coursera Plus and single courses
7-day free trial on monthly Coursera Plus subscriptions
Free course audit option for lectures and readings
Verified certificates from top universities & companies
OpenCourser Verified Partner Policy details last reviewed: 2026-10-22
Our mission

OpenCourser helps millions of learners each year. People visit us to learn workspace skills, ace their exams, and nurture their curiosity.

Our extensive catalog contains over 50,000 courses and twice as many books. Browse by search, by topic, or even by career interests. We'll match you to the right resources quickly.

Find this site helpful? Tell a friend about us.

Affiliate disclosure

We're supported by our community of learners. When you purchase or subscribe to courses and programs or purchase books, we may earn a commission from our partners.

Your purchases help us maintain our catalog and keep our servers humming without ads.

Thank you for supporting OpenCourser.

© 2016 - 2025 OpenCourser