How to Create a TCP Server in Go

Use the net package to create a listener on a TCP address and accept incoming connections in a loop. The following example creates a server listening on port 8080 that echoes back any received data.

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"net"
)

func main() {
	ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", ":8080")
	if err != nil {
		fmt.Println("Error listening:", err)
		return
	}
	defer ln.Close()

	for {
		conn, err := ln.Accept()
		if err != nil {
			fmt.Println("Error accepting:", err)
			continue
		}
		go handleConnection(conn)
	}
}

func handleConnection(conn net.Conn) {
	defer conn.Close()
	io.Copy(conn, conn)
}

Creating a TCP server in Go sets up a program that waits for other computers to connect to it over the internet. It's like a receptionist sitting at a desk, ready to answer the phone whenever it rings. You use this when you need your application to receive data from clients, such as a web server or a chat app.