revamping error-handling && commenting code

handler/country.go

@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ func Chandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		}
 	} else {
 		// need to check error for content when setting header (pkg.CorrectHeader)
-		http.Error(w, "An error occurred", pkg.CorrectHeader(err))
+		pkg.HttpError(w, err)
 	}
 }

handler/species.go

@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package handler
 import (
 	"assignment-1/pkg"
 	"encoding/json"
-	"fmt"
 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
 	"log"
 	"net/http"
@@ -20,7 +19,6 @@ func Shandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 	} else {
-		w.WriteHeader(pkg.CorrectHeader(err))
-		_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(w, "An error occurred")
+		pkg.HttpError(w, err)
 	}
 }

pkg/funcs.go

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
 )
 
 // allowing access to "overloaded" functions
@@ -36,30 +38,47 @@ func (s *Specie) unmarshal(resp *http.Response) error {
 
 // parses httpresponse as a string used later for parsing
 func getBody(url string, m mashup) error {
-	resp, err := http.Get(url)
+
+	// creates a client to allow for timeout
+	client := http.Client{
+		Timeout: 4 * time.Second,
+	}
+
+	// sends a http request
+	resp, err := client.Get(url)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
+	// decodes the http response & closes the body
 	err = unfold(m, resp)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
+	// sends appropriate error
 	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%d", resp.StatusCode)
 	}
+
+	// all went well
 	return nil
 }
 
 // func for returning correct http.Head response code
-func CorrectHeader(err error) int {
+func HttpError(w http.ResponseWriter, err error) {
+
+	// if timeout happened
+	if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "Client.Timeout exceeded") {
+		http.Error(w, "Request timeout", http.StatusGatewayTimeout)
+		return // return if error is already displayed
+	}
 
 	switch err.Error() {
 	case "400", "404":
-		return http.StatusBadGateway
-	case "408":
-		return http.StatusGatewayTimeout
+		http.Error(w, "Not found", http.StatusBadGateway)
 	default:
-		return http.StatusInternalServerError
+		http.Error(w, "Error occurred", http.StatusInternalServerError)
 	}
 
 }