Echo is a performance-focused, open source Go web application framework. Go is an increasingly popular language choice for creating web applications due to the flexibility and performance built into the `net/http` standard library package that comes with the language. The `net/http` package provides many useful and powerful primitives, such as its web server implementation, request and response types and methods, uniform resource location router, as well as a clean handler interface and function type declaration.
We will begin by taking an inventory of the basic building blocks of a web application from the protocol. Then, we will explore what the `net/http` package provides, and very briefly touch on how a web application framework could build with these primitives to provide developers with structure for building successful applications. It will be shown how the Echo web application framework fills the voids left by the `net/http` package, allowing for ease of development. Finally, we will end with best practices for setting up your web application using Echo.
Within this chapter, we will cover:
- A refresher of the primitives of the Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP)
- An overview of what the net/http standard library provides
- A brief explanation of why the standard library is lacking and in need of a framework
- How to set up your Go environment and install the Echo Framework
