Encore for Go Streamlining Cloud Development and Deployment- Salman Shah, Smartsheet (Part 1)

Encore is a platform that streamlines cloud development and deployment for Go applications by reducing boilerplate code and infrastructure complexity

Key features include:

• Built-in database integration without explicit configuration
• Automatic API server setup
• Integrated tracing, logging and metrics
• Infrastructure provisioning
• Local development environment similar to production

Developers can focus on business logic rather than infrastructure setup, as Encore handles:

• API routing
• Database connections
• HTTP client setup
• Container configurations

The platform offers:

• Go and TypeScript support
• Free tier with generous limits (10,000 requests)
• AWS and GCP deployment options
• Local development environment matching production
• Built-in testing capabilities

Real-world example of using Encore at Smartsheet:

• Migrated from Java to Go services
• Simplified historical data handling
• Reduced infrastructure complexity
• Faster development cycles
• Better developer experience

Best practices:

• Start with Hello World example before complex applications
• Use provided scaffolding for new services
• Leverage built-in database migrations
• Take advantage of automatic tracing and metrics
• Integrate with existing Terraform configurations when needed