Species 'Key' is now returned as string

pkg/species.go

 package pkg
 
+import "strconv"
+
 const speciesApi = "http://api.gbif.org/v1/species/"
 
-// struct for returning correct json keys
+// struct for getting correct json keys
 type Specie struct {
 	Key 			int 	`json:"key,omitempty"`
 	Kingdom 		string 	`json:"kingdom,omitempty"`
@@ -15,31 +17,55 @@ type Specie struct {
 	Year			string  `json:"year,omitempty"`
 }
 
+// struct for returning proper format to caller (Key (int) => string): See README.md for assumptions
+type SpecieReturn struct {
+	Key 			string 	`json:"key,omitempty"`
+	Kingdom 		string 	`json:"kingdom,omitempty"`
+	Phylum 			string 	`json:"phylum,omitempty"`
+	Order 			string 	`json:"order,omitempty"`
+	Family 			string 	`json:"family,omitempty"`
+	Genus 			string 	`json:"genus,omitempty"`
+	ScientificName 	string 	`json:"scientificName,omitempty"`
+	CanonicalName 	string 	`json:"canonicalName,omitempty"`
+	Year			string  `json:"year,omitempty"`
+}
+
 // gets all relevant species information
-func GetSpecies(key string) (Specie, error) {
+func GetSpecies(key string) (SpecieReturn, error) {
 	var specie Specie
 	url := speciesApi + key
 
 	// fills in the body of the specie, returns error & empty specie when appropriate
 	err := getBody(url, &specie)
 	if err != nil {
-		return Specie{}, err
+		return SpecieReturn{}, err
 	}
 
 	// supplies the json keys not provided in the first request (year)
 	url = url + "/name"
 
-	// using a temp-Specie to only get 'year', not replacing any other variable (just in case of varying info)
+	// using a temp-Specie to only get 'year', not replacing any other variable
+	// (just in case of varying info such as 'Key')
 	// I interpreted the task as only asking for 'year', not 'bracketYear' as well
 	var tempSpecie Specie
 	err = getBody(url, &tempSpecie)
 	if err != nil {
-		return Specie{}, err
+		return SpecieReturn{}, err
 	}
 
-	// sets year (if it occurred; has ",omitifempty" in json format)
-	specie.Year = tempSpecie.Year
+	// specie that has correct json format
+	returnVal := SpecieReturn{
+		Key:            strconv.Itoa(specie.Key),
+		Kingdom:        specie.Kingdom,
+		Phylum:         specie.Phylum,
+		Order:          specie.Order,
+		Family:         specie.Family,
+		Genus:          specie.Genus,
+		ScientificName: specie.ScientificName,
+		CanonicalName:  specie.CanonicalName,
+		Year:           tempSpecie.Year,
+	}
 
 	// all went well
-	return specie, nil
+	return returnVal, nil
 }
\ No newline at end of file