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Task 1.6: Custom Response Headers and Status Codes

Summary

Implement proper HTTP status codes and custom headers for buylater.email responses to provide better user experience and professional API behavior.

Motivation

Following Let’s Go Chapter 2.6, we need to customize HTTP responses for the buylater.email service. This improves the user experience by providing appropriate status codes (like 201 Created for form submissions) and adds professional headers that identify our service.

Acceptance Criteria

  • Form submission POST responses use 201 Created status code
  • Magic link confirmation responses use appropriate status codes
  • Add custom “Server: buylater.email” header to all responses
  • Use HTTP status constants instead of raw numbers
  • Headers are set before WriteHeader() or Write() calls
  • All responses have proper Content-Type headers

Technical Requirements

Implementation Details

  • Use w.WriteHeader(http.StatusCreated) for successful form submissions
  • Add custom header with w.Header().Add("Server", "buylater.email")
  • Use net/http status code constants for readability
  • Ensure headers are set before any response writing
  • Apply consistent header approach across all handlers

Dependencies

  • Task 1.5 completed (HTTP method-based routing)

Testing Strategy

Unit Tests

  • Verify status codes are set correctly for each handler
  • Confirm custom headers are present in responses

Integration Tests

  • All routes return appropriate HTTP status codes

Manual Testing

  • Use curl to verify POST /submit returns 201 Created
  • Confirm all responses include “Server: buylater.email” header
  • Check magic link confirmation responses have proper status codes
  • Verify Content-Type headers are appropriate for each response

Definition of Done

  • All acceptance criteria met
  • All specified tests pass
  • Code follows project conventions (go fmt, go vet)
  • No new console errors or warnings
  • Relevant documentation updated
  • Human verification completed successfully
  • Git commit created with proper message format

Implementation Notes

Approach

Enhance existing handlers to include proper HTTP semantics for the buylater.email service. Focus on professional API behavior and clear status codes.

Key Files to Modify

  • main.go - Update all handler functions with proper status codes and headers

Potential Risks

  • Headers must be set before any write operations
  • Status codes can only be set once per response

Success Metrics

All buylater.email HTTP responses include proper status codes and professional headers that clearly identify the service.

  • Blocks: Future API development and error handling tasks
  • Blocked by: Task 1.5 (needs method-based routing)
  • Related: Professional service presentation and HTTP standards compliance

Implementation Log

2025-07-20 - Implementation Complete

  • Added “Server: buylater.email” header to all handler functions
  • Implemented 201 Created status code for POST /submit using http.StatusCreated
  • Added explicit Content-Type header for HTML form response
  • Used proper header timing - all headers set before WriteHeader() or Write()
  • Enhanced magic link confirmation with explicit status codes
  • Applied consistent header approach across all routes
  • Verified code formatting with go fmt and go vet
  • Build successful with go build

Final Verification

Human Tester: [Name]
Date Completed: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Verification Result: [Pass/Fail]
Notes: [Any issues found or additional observations]