How to turn DataBase access into a Function idiomatically in Go - go

Question

I have built a Backend API in Go, it works however I want refactor the code for the DB access layer into a function - idiomatically.
// Get the form data entered by client; FirstName, LastName, phone Number,
// assign the person a unique i.d
// check to see if that user isn't in the database already
// if they are send an error message with the a 'bad' response code
// if they aren't in db add to db and send a message with success
func CreateStudentAccountEndpoint(response http.ResponseWriter, request *http.Request){
client, err := mongo.NewClient("mongodb://localhost:27017")
if err != nil {
log.Fatalf("Error connecting to mongoDB client Host: Err-> %v\n ", err)
}
ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 20*time.Second)
defer cancel()
err = client.Connect(ctx)
if err != nil {
log.Fatalf("Error Connecting to MongoDB at context.WtihTimeout: Err-> %v\n ", err)
}
response.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
studentCollection := client.Database(dbName).Collection("students")
_, err = studentCollection.InsertOne(context.Background(),data)
if err != nil {
response.WriteHeader(501)
response.Write([]byte(`{ "message": "` + err.Error() + `" }`))
}
// encoding json object for returning to the client
jsonStudent, err := json.Marshal(student)
if err != nil {
http.Error(response, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
}
response.Write(jsonStudent)
}
I understand that I can create a method which returns (*mongoClient, err) as I utilise the client local variable later on in the code.
However I am lost as to how to implement the defer cancel() part because it executes once the method CreateStudenAccountEndpoint is at the end. But I am at a loss on how to implement this defer section in a method that will recognise that I want the defer to happen at the end of the function that calls the DB access layer method e.g CreateStudentAccountEndpoint not the actual db access method itself.

Answer 1

As I understand it, the connection should be long-lived and set up as a part of a constructor, i.e. not part of the request flow.
This will typically look something like this:
type BackendAPI struct {
client *mongo.Client
}
func NewBackendAPI(mongoURI string) (*BackendAPI, error) {
client, err := mongo.NewClient(mongoURI)
if err != nil {
return nil, err
}
ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 20*time.Second)
defer cancel()
err = client.Connect(ctx)
if err != nil {
return nil, err
}
return &BackendAPI{client}, nil
}
func (api *BackendAPI) func CreateStudentAccountEndpoint(response http.ResponseWriter, request *http.Request) {
response.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
// note the use of the long-lived api.client, which is connected already.
studentCollection := api.client.Database(dbName).Collection("students")
_, err = studentCollection.InsertOne(context.Background() ,data)
if err != nil {
response.WriteHeader(501)
response.Write([]byte(`{ "message": "` + err.Error() + `" }`))
return // at this point, the method should return
}
// encoding json object for returning to the client
jsonStudent, err := json.Marshal(student)
if err != nil {
http.Error(response, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
}
response.Write(jsonStudent)
}
If you worry about losing the connection, you could implement a call to api.client.Ping in there, but in my opinion this should only be attempted if you encounter a failure you believe you can recover from by reconnecting.