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Go

Stove can run a Go service as the application under test through process or container runners. The Kotlin test DSL keeps the same shape for registered systems; Go-specific work is build wiring, env/arg configuration, OTel SDK setup, and optional Kafka bridge integration.

Two modes, one DSL Process mode runs the Go binary for fast iteration. Container mode runs a Docker image for artifact-level parity. The same Kotlin tests can target either mode when StoveConfig branches on one option.

Full reference source: recipes/process/golang/go-showcase.

Pick a mode

🏃 Process mode

stove-process · goApp() · processApp()

  • Fast local iteration
  • Direct binary run, easiest debugging
  • You manage host runtime alignment

Process mode guide →

🐳 Container mode

stove-container · containerApp()

  • CI parity with production image
  • Environment isolation
  • Image build adds setup cost

Container mode guide →

Rule of thumb: start with process mode for fast feedback, add container mode in CI when you want image-level confidence. The runner changes; the external-surface assertions can stay the same.

What you get

🧱
External systems stay testable

HTTP, PostgreSQL, Kafka, MongoDB, Redis, and other registered systems use the same Kotlin-side DSL. The Go app must receive their connection details through env vars or CLI args.

🛰️
Distributed tracing

Spans from Go appear in the same trace tree as the test. stoveTracing Gradle plugin starts the OTLP receiver.

📊
Dashboard streams

Go runs stream to the dashboard like any JVM run. Timelines, snapshots, Kafka explorer.

🤖
MCP triage

Failed Go runs queryable through stove CLI MCP server.

📨
Kafka assertions

shouldBePublished / shouldBeConsumed via the stove-kafka bridge. Sarama, franz-go, and segmentio/kafka-go have adapters; other clients can call the core bridge directly.

📈
Integration coverage

go build -cover + GOCOVERDIR collected on graceful shutdown. HTML + summary reports.

Adapting for other languages

Same shape, swap the Go-specific parts.

Part Go Python Node.js Rust
Build go build (none / pip install) npm install && build cargo build
AUT runner goApp() / containerApp() processApp() / containerApp() processApp() / containerApp() processApp() / containerApp()
OTel HTTP otelhttp.NewHandler opentelemetry-instrumentation-flask @opentelemetry/instrumentation-http tracing-opentelemetry
OTel DB otelsql opentelemetry-instrumentation-psycopg2 @opentelemetry/instrumentation-pg tracing-opentelemetry
Kafka assertions stove-kafka bridge (bridge needed) (bridge needed) (bridge needed)

The Kotlin test side keeps the same shape. The AUT runner, config mapping, and language-specific instrumentation are the parts that differ.