go-urlshortner

README

Go URL Shortener

This is a simple URL shortening service written in Go, which utilizes the Gin Web Framework for routing and Google Cloud Datastore for persistent storage.

Introduction

This project aims to provide a straightforward and scalable approach to creating short aliases for lengthy URLs. It's constructed in Go and is designed to be simple to deploy and maintain. The service includes basic functionalities such as generating a shortened URL and redirecting to the original URL when accessed.

Features

• Shorten URLs: Convert long URLs into short, manageable links that are easier to share.
• Redirection: Use the generated short link to redirect to the original URL.
• Simple Integration: Easily integrate with your applications using RESTful API endpoints.

Environment Configuration

The following table lists the environment variables used by the Go URL Shortener, which you can set to configure the application:

Environment Variable	Description	Required	Default Value
DATASTORE_PROJECT_ID	Your Google Cloud Datastore project ID.	Yes	None
INTERNAL_SECRET_VALUE	A secret value used for internal authentication purposes.	Yes	None
GIN_MODE	The mode Gin runs in. Set to "release" for production.	No	"debug"
CUSTOM_BASE_PATH	The base path for the URL shortener API endpoints.	No	"/"

Notes on Environment Variables

• DATASTORE_PROJECT_ID and INTERNAL_SECRET_VALUE are mandatory for the application to function correctly. Without these, the application will not be able to connect to Google Cloud Datastore or secure its endpoints.
• GIN_MODE is optional and controls the framework's runtime mode. The default mode is "debug", which is suitable for development since it provides detailed logging and error messages. However, it is recommended to set GIN_MODE to "release" in a production environment. This turns off debug logging, which can improve performance and prevent the exposure of sensitive information in logs.
• CUSTOM_BASE_PATH is optional and allows you to specify a custom base path for all API endpoints. For example, setting this to /api/v1/ will prefix the routes for retrieving and creating shortened URLs with /api/v1/. If not set, the application will use / as the default base path.
• Always ensure that environment variables containing sensitive information are kept secure. Do not hardcode them in your application or Dockerfile. Instead, use secure methods of configuration like environment variable injection at runtime or secrets management services.

Remember to set these environment variables before running the application, either locally or as part of your deployment process.

Getting Started with Docker

The Go URL Shortener can be easily run as a Docker container. Make sure you have Docker installed on your system.

To get the Docker image of Go URL Shortener, pull the image from the GitHub Container Registry:

docker pull ghcr.io/h0llyw00dzz/go-urlshortener:latest

Once you have the image, you can run it as a container:

docker run -d -p 8080:8080 \
  -e DATASTORE_PROJECT_ID='your-datastore-project-id' \
  -e INTERNAL_SECRET_VALUE='your-internal-secret' \
  ghcr.io/h0llyw00dzz/go-urlshortener:latest

This command will start the URL Shortener service and bind it to port 8080 on your host machine.

Make sure to replace your-datastore-project-id and your-internal-secret with the actual values you want to use for your deployment. These environment variables will be read by your Go application inside the Docker container to configure the connection to Google Cloud Datastore and to set the internal secret for authentication.

Example Creating a Short URL

To create a short URL, send a POST request with a JSON payload containing the original URL. You'll also need to include a custom internal secret header for authentication purposes.

curl -X POST \
  https://example-your-deployurl-go-dev.a.run.app/ \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'X-Internal-Secret: YOURKEY-SECRET' \
  -d '{"url": "https://go.dev/"}'

Replace YOURKEY-SECRET with the actual secret key required by your deployment.

The service will respond with a JSON object that includes the ID of the shortened URL:

{
  "id": "{ShortenedID}",
  "shortened_url": "https://example-your-deployurl-go-dev.a.run.app/{ShortenedID}"
}

You can then access the shortened URL at https://example-your-deployurl-go-dev.a.run.app/{ShortenedID}, which will redirect you to the original URL.

Roadmap

As the project is written in Go, we are considering the development of our own NoSQL database for persistent storage. This would allow us to tailor the storage solution specifically to our needs and avoid dependency on third-party cloud services.

Contributing

Contributions are very much welcome! If you're thinking about making significant changes or improvements, please start by opening an issue. This allows us to have a discussion about the proposed changes and agree on the best approach before moving forward. We value your ideas and input, and we look forward to collaborating with you!