Have you ever been so frustrated that you decided to take matters into your own hands and fix it? Golang or Go Language is a product of that frustration manifested with the talents of Rob Pike, Robert Griesemer, and Ken Thompson. It is a revolutionary language with versatile uses and plenty of Golang projects to work with.
The language itself was designed at Google and is open-source, platform-independent, statically, and strongly typed in nature. However, it has all the positives of C, C++, Java, and Python while it overlooks their flaws. So, how about we explore what you can do with Golang as a beginner in 2022? Stay tuned!
Best Open Source Golang Projects for Beginners
The best way to learn a language is to implement it; the same goes for the Go language. Hence, we are about to tell you about 10 of the best open-source Golang projects out there below that are beginner friendly and trendy.
1. Snakes Game
This classic Snakes game is one of the easiest Go projects for beginners. If you are a ’90s baby, you must remember frantically pushing the buttons on those old Nokia cell phones, trying to keep the snack from eating its own tail. This game is just a tribute to nostalgia that you can build on your PC using the Go language.
Project Highlights
- One can implement the concept of map data structures to bind keys to values and use characters in order to make the snake move within the terminal.
- Your goal is not to let the value of the tail match that of the head so that the game continues. This can be done by using if or switch statements and more.
- You can also implement the concept of coordinates by randomly placing the food within the terminal.
2. Http Router
The Http-router project is a bit challenging, yet one of the best Golang projects as it teaches you a lot about how a real-time application works in the backend. Golang already has a built-in HTTP router called the multiplexer – however, it doesn’t take parameters. Your job is to extend your local Golang binary by creating a router that takes custom routes as parameters.
Project Highlights
- One should make use of the http request and handler function in order to define a route.
- The route will lead requests to relevant servers that will send back a response so that users can access the requested data.
- Using this Go project, you can learn more about net/http and algorithms.
3. YouTube Video Downlader
Youtube is perhaps one of the most well-known and widely used platforms out there. However, one annoying feature of YouTube is that you can’t download anything outside the app with a built-in feature. However, this can be done by using third-party downloaders, and if you are a Go beginner, you can make this one of your own open-source Golang projects.
Project Highlights
- Users simply need to insert video links and video IDs in order to download videos by running the program with cmd.
- The project uses concepts for http requests, overwriting, conditionals, parsing, and much more.
- You can also add options that will allow users to choose the video quality before downloading or add in a default quality.
4. Nintendo Gameboy Emulator
Gameboy emulators are like gaming consoles for Nintendo games. It is one of the existing open source Go projects that was created as a fun development exercise and is now a popular project that keeps growing with beginner contributions. So, perhaps you can contribute as well by creating an extension, or you can clone the emulator as practice with the Github code.
Project Highlights
- The emulator has sound and color support to provide better visuals in your user’s gameplay.
- Your emulator should have debugging functions, including printing OPcodes and using map concepts to use character keys at registered values.
- The emulator should also use concepts for stacks, such as PUSH and POP, and know how to use flags to create or manipulate objects.
5. Email Verifier Tool
A majority of platforms use email verification as a popular registration or sign-up technique. This also means that Email Verification Tools are in high demand. So, creating one for your Golang projects is incredibly beneficial as you would get the feel of creating a real-time application that can be used at an enterprise level.
Project Highlights
- You must have a good grasp of your String concepts to compare and validate email addresses.
- The program should be integrated with the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) so that emails can be verified.
- It should also confirm the email from the user’s end before sending an email to the given address to verify.
6. Docker CLI
Docker CLI is an open-source project on Github that uses the concept of containerization for running applications in isolated user spaces (containers). This Golang project aims to implement the language’s hybrid nature to provide an enhanced development and deployment experience for Go applications.
Project Highlights
- Your program should come with linters for easier debugging and bug fixing.
- It should focus on functions, pointers, and unit testing in order to create or manipulate a container in your local space.
- The size of images can be manipulated using a multi-stage building that takes artifacts from the original image to a new container that converts it into a smaller image.
7. Slack Bots
Building Slack Bots makes for great Golang projects as they are simple enough for beginners to create and easy enough to deploy. Slack is a secure messaging app for businesses to exchange information in an intuitive and safe manner. The bots are specific to slack channels and can be customized according to the business needs.
Project Highlights
- Your bot should be able to exchange information through specific routes and fulfill user requests.
- It should recognize keywords that will invoke the bot’s functionalities.
- The bot should also pop up at scheduled times to report work progress if necessary.
8. Cloud Applications
A cloud application offers cloud computing benefits within the tool by ensuring proper connectivity between the client and server side. The client should be able to use the server’s resources, and the server should be able to use the client’s resources as a two-way system. Hence, building one for your Golang projects can strengthen your portfolio.
Project Highlights
- Keeping your user’s data secure is a priority, so you must understand the concept of access modifiers well.
- Go Cloud Development Kit can be used to access a variety of cloud providers.
- It should also have databases connected to MySQL and PostgreSQL. And there should be features that require users to log in in order to use the application for further security.
9. Management Systems
Management Systems are some of the core Golang projects that a beginner can develop to master basic concepts. There are tons of management systems to work with, such as library management, bank account management, student record management, and much more. We’ll talk about the generic management system highlights below – so keep reading!
Project Highlights
- Concepts for functions, pointers, and structures are super important when it comes to management systems.
- It should be able to run on a terminal with simple features such as logging in, recording durations, showing previous records, and more.
- One can also use stacks or queues to insert, peek, or delete data from the system.
10. Tic Tac Toe game
Last but not least, as we started today’s list with a game, how about we end with one as well? That said, a classic game of tic tac toe that one can run within the terminal is perfect for the occasion. Also, beginners can easily develop it as it is one of the easiest open-source Golang projects out there. So let’s explore its highlights before closing the curtains on today’s topic below.
Project Highlights
- The project calls for a concept of how square matrices work and how one can manipulate them.
- Inputting any other symbol except O and X and trying to put an input in an already full cell should tell the user that it is an invalid input.
- Users should be able to keep a count of how many games they have won. The game should also stop if there’s a draw.
Ending Notes
That was all to our article regarding the best Golang projects for beginners in 2022. We talked about 10 of them only. However, there are plenty more projects that might catch your interest, which is a story for another time. For now, let us know if you have any queries regarding the aforementioned projects, or simply give us feedback.
You can also research popular existing Go language projects that are open source and take GitHub contributions such as Kubernetes, InluxDB, Vuls, Wuzz, and much more. Or you can clone projects by following through case studies to understand better how developing applications with Golang work. You can also find all language learning resources at Golang.org. So, whichever you do, keep practicing – best of luck!
