---

name: go-add-consumer description: Add a RabbitMQ event consumer to an existing GOB Go microservice allowed-tools: - Read - Write - Edit - Glob - Grep - Bash

---

Go Add Consumer

Add a RabbitMQ event consumer to an existing GOB Go microservice. Generates the consumer infrastructure, event handlers, and wires everything into main.go.

Trigger Phrases

"add consumer", "add event consumer", "consumir eventos", "novo consumer", "listen to events", "subscribe to events"

Arguments

$ARGUMENTS should specify: - Service name (e.g., gob-bulletin-service) — required - Source exchanges — which exchanges to bind to (e.g., gob.processes, gob.members) - Routing keys — which events to listen to (e.g., process.*, member.death) - What to do — description of what the handler should do when events arrive

Pre-Flight Reads

Before generating code, read these files (in parallel):

1. go.mod — module path, check if github.com/rabbitmq/amqp091-go is already a dependency
2. cmd/api/main.go — existing wiring, check if a consumer already exists
3. internal/ (ls) — check for existing consumer/ or messaging/ directory
4. Existing consumer in another service for reference pattern — e.g., services/gob-bulletin-service/internal/messaging/consumer.go

Determine: - Package name: use messaging if the service already has that directory, otherwise consumer - Queue name: gob.{service-name} (e.g., gob.bulletin-service) - Consumer tag: {service-name} (e.g., bulletin-service)

Known Exchange Names

Exchange	Service that publishes	Event types
gob.processes	gob-process-service	process.created, process.submitted, process.approved, process.rejected, process.completed
gob.members	gob-member-service	member.created, member.updated, member.death, member.quit_placet, member.exclusion
gob.bulletins	gob-bulletin-service	bulletin.published, bulletin.closed
gob.financial	gob-financial-service	financial.payment, financial.charge
gob.elections	gob-election-service	election.started, election.completed
gob.sessions	gob-session-service	session.created, session.completed
gob.auth	gob-auth-service	auth.login, auth.password_reset
gob.notifications	gob-notification-service	notification.*
gob.assistance	gob-assistance-service	assistance.submitted, assistance.approved, assistance.rejected, assistance.paid
gob.reports	gob-report-service	report.requested, report.completed
gob.audit	audit middleware (all services)	audit.*

Files to Generate

1. Consumer — internal/{pkg}/consumer.go

package messaging // or consumer

import (
    "context"
    "encoding/json"
    "fmt"
    "sync"

    amqp "github.com/rabbitmq/amqp091-go"
    "github.com/gob/gob-go-commons/pkg/logger"
)

const (
    consumerQueue = "gob.{service-name}"
    consumerTag   = "{service-name-without-gob}"
)

// Default bindings — exchanges and routing keys to listen to.
// Uses ExchangeDeclarePassive so we don't create other service's exchanges.
var defaultBindings = []QueueBinding{
    {Exchange: "{exchange1}", RoutingKey: "{routing_key1}"},
    {Exchange: "{exchange2}", RoutingKey: "{routing_key2}"},
}

type QueueBinding struct {
    Exchange   string
    RoutingKey string
}

// IncomingEvent is the generic event envelope from RabbitMQ.
type IncomingEvent struct {
    EventID   string          `json:"event_id"`
    EventType string          `json:"event_type"`
    Source    string           `json:"source,omitempty"`
    ProcessID string          `json:"process_id,omitempty"`
    MemberID  string          `json:"member_id,omitempty"`
    LodgeID   string          `json:"lodge_id,omitempty"`
    UserID    string          `json:"user_id,omitempty"`
    UserName  string          `json:"user_name,omitempty"`
    Data      any             `json:"data,omitempty"`
    RawBody   json.RawMessage `json:"-"`
}

type EventHandler func(ctx context.Context, event *IncomingEvent) error

type EventConsumer struct {
    conn     *amqp.Connection
    channel  *amqp.Channel
    log      *logger.Logger
    handlers map[string]EventHandler
    mu       sync.RWMutex
    done     chan struct{}
}

func NewEventConsumer(amqpURL string, log *logger.Logger) (*EventConsumer, error) {
    conn, err := amqp.Dial(amqpURL)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to connect to RabbitMQ: %w", err)
    }

    ch, err := conn.Channel()
    if err != nil {
        _ = conn.Close()
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to open channel: %w", err)
    }

    // Prefetch — process 10 messages at a time
    if err := ch.Qos(10, 0, false); err != nil {
        _ = ch.Close()
        _ = conn.Close()
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to set QoS: %w", err)
    }

    // Declare our own durable queue
    _, err = ch.QueueDeclare(
        consumerQueue,
        true,  // durable
        false, // auto-delete
        false, // exclusive
        false, // no-wait
        nil,
    )
    if err != nil {
        _ = ch.Close()
        _ = conn.Close()
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to declare queue: %w", err)
    }

    // Bind to source exchanges using ExchangeDeclarePassive
    // This does NOT create the exchange — it only verifies it exists
    for _, binding := range defaultBindings {
        if err := ch.ExchangeDeclarePassive(
            binding.Exchange, "topic", true, false, false, false, nil,
        ); err != nil {
            log.WithField("exchange", binding.Exchange).
                Warn("Exchange not found, skipping binding")
            // Channel is closed after passive declare failure — reopen
            ch, err = conn.Channel()
            if err != nil {
                _ = conn.Close()
                return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to reopen channel: %w", err)
            }
            if err := ch.Qos(10, 0, false); err != nil {
                _ = ch.Close()
                _ = conn.Close()
                return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to set QoS after reopen: %w", err)
            }
            continue
        }

        if err := ch.QueueBind(
            consumerQueue, binding.RoutingKey, binding.Exchange, false, nil,
        ); err != nil {
            log.WithField("exchange", binding.Exchange).
                WithField("routing_key", binding.RoutingKey).
                WithError(err).Warn("Failed to bind queue")
        } else {
            log.WithField("exchange", binding.Exchange).
                WithField("routing_key", binding.RoutingKey).
                Info("Bound queue to exchange")
        }
    }

    return &EventConsumer{
        conn:     conn,
        channel:  ch,
        log:      log,
        handlers: make(map[string]EventHandler),
        done:     make(chan struct{}),
    }, nil
}

// RegisterHandler registers a handler for a routing key pattern.
// Use "*" prefix for wildcard matching (e.g., "process.*" matches "process.approved").
func (c *EventConsumer) RegisterHandler(pattern string, handler EventHandler) {
    c.mu.Lock()
    defer c.mu.Unlock()
    c.handlers[pattern] = handler
}

// Start begins consuming messages. Blocks until ctx is cancelled or Stop() is called.
func (c *EventConsumer) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
    deliveries, err := c.channel.Consume(
        consumerQueue,
        consumerTag,
        false, // auto-ack: false (manual ack)
        false, // exclusive
        false, // no-local
        false, // no-wait
        nil,
    )
    if err != nil {
        return fmt.Errorf("failed to start consuming: %w", err)
    }

    c.log.WithField("queue", consumerQueue).Info("Consumer started")

    for {
        select {
        case <-ctx.Done():
            c.log.Info("Consumer context cancelled, stopping")
            return nil
        case <-c.done:
            c.log.Info("Consumer stop signal received")
            return nil
        case delivery, ok := <-deliveries:
            if !ok {
                c.log.Warn("Delivery channel closed")
                return nil
            }
            c.handleDelivery(ctx, delivery)
        }
    }
}

func (c *EventConsumer) handleDelivery(ctx context.Context, delivery amqp.Delivery) {
    var event IncomingEvent
    if err := json.Unmarshal(delivery.Body, &event); err != nil {
        c.log.WithError(err).Warn("Failed to unmarshal event, acking to discard")
        _ = delivery.Ack(false)
        return
    }

    // Store raw body for handlers that need to re-parse
    event.RawBody = delivery.Body

    // Find matching handler by routing key
    c.mu.RLock()
    handler := c.findHandler(delivery.RoutingKey)
    c.mu.RUnlock()

    if handler == nil {
        c.log.WithField("routing_key", delivery.RoutingKey).
            Debug("No handler for routing key, acking")
        _ = delivery.Ack(false)
        return
    }

    if err := handler(ctx, &event); err != nil {
        c.log.WithError(err).
            WithField("routing_key", delivery.RoutingKey).
            WithField("event_type", event.EventType).
            Warn("Handler returned error, nacking for requeue")
        _ = delivery.Nack(false, true) // requeue on transient errors
        return
    }

    _ = delivery.Ack(false)
}

// findHandler matches a routing key against registered patterns.
// Supports simple wildcard: "process.*" matches "process.anything".
func (c *EventConsumer) findHandler(routingKey string) EventHandler {
    // Exact match first
    if h, ok := c.handlers[routingKey]; ok {
        return h
    }

    // Wildcard match: "prefix.*"
    for pattern, h := range c.handlers {
        if len(pattern) > 2 && pattern[len(pattern)-2:] == ".*" {
            prefix := pattern[:len(pattern)-2]
            if len(routingKey) > len(prefix) && routingKey[:len(prefix)] == prefix {
                return h
            }
        }
        // Catch-all "#"
        if pattern == "#" {
            return h
        }
    }

    return nil
}

// Stop signals the consumer to stop processing.
func (c *EventConsumer) Stop() {
    close(c.done)
    if c.channel != nil {
        _ = c.channel.Cancel(consumerTag, false)
        _ = c.channel.Close()
    }
    if c.conn != nil {
        _ = c.conn.Close()
    }
}

2. Event Handler — internal/{pkg}/{source}_handler.go

package messaging

import (
    "context"
    "fmt"

    "github.com/google/uuid"
    "github.com/gob/gob-go-commons/pkg/logger"
)

// {Source}EventData contains typed fields from the event payload.
type {Source}EventData struct {
    ProcessType   string `json:"process_type,omitempty"`
    ProcessNumber string `json:"process_number,omitempty"`
    MemberID      string `json:"member_id,omitempty"`
    MemberName    string `json:"member_name,omitempty"`
    LodgeID       string `json:"lodge_id,omitempty"`
    Status        string `json:"status,omitempty"`
}

// Dependency interfaces — what the handler needs from the service layer.
// Using interfaces prevents import cycles.
type {ActionInterface} interface {
    // Define methods the handler needs to call
    DoSomething(ctx context.Context, input *SomeInput) error
}

type {Source}EventHandler struct {
    actor {ActionInterface}
    log   *logger.Logger
}

func New{Source}EventHandler(actor {ActionInterface}, log *logger.Logger) *{Source}EventHandler {
    return &{Source}EventHandler{actor: actor, log: log}
}

// Handle dispatches {source}.* events.
func (h *{Source}EventHandler) Handle(ctx context.Context, event *IncomingEvent) error {
    switch event.EventType {
    case "approved", "completed":
        return h.handleApproved(ctx, event)
    case "rejected":
        return h.handleRejected(ctx, event)
    default:
        h.log.WithField("event_type", event.EventType).
            Debug("Ignoring unrecognized event type")
        return nil // Don't retry unknown events
    }
}

func (h *{Source}EventHandler) handleApproved(ctx context.Context, event *IncomingEvent) error {
    // Safe type assertion on polymorphic Data field
    data, ok := event.Data.(map[string]any)
    if !ok {
        h.log.Warn("Event data is not a map, ignoring")
        return nil // Don't retry bad data
    }

    // Extract fields with safe type assertions and fallbacks
    processType, _ := data["process_type"].(string)
    memberID, _ := data["member_id"].(string)

    // Parse UUIDs safely
    var parsedMemberID *uuid.UUID
    if memberID != "" {
        if id, err := uuid.Parse(memberID); err == nil {
            parsedMemberID = &id
        }
    }

    h.log.WithField("event_type", event.EventType).
        WithField("process_type", processType).
        WithField("event_id", event.EventID).
        Info("Processing event")

    // Call the service layer via interface
    if err := h.actor.DoSomething(ctx, &SomeInput{
        // ... build input from event data
    }); err != nil {
        h.log.WithError(err).
            WithField("event_id", event.EventID).
            Warn("Failed to process event")
        return err // Return error for transient failures (triggers requeue)
    }

    return nil
}

func (h *{Source}EventHandler) handleRejected(ctx context.Context, event *IncomingEvent) error {
    // Similar pattern...
    return nil
}

3. Main.go Wiring — edit cmd/api/main.go

Add the consumer initialization in the appropriate section of main.go:

// === Event Consumer (non-blocking) ===
var eventConsumer *messaging.EventConsumer
if rmqURL := cfg.GetDefault("RABBITMQ_URL", ""); rmqURL != "" {
    consumer, err := messaging.NewEventConsumer(rmqURL, log)
    if err != nil {
        log.WithError(err).Warn("RabbitMQ consumer unavailable, event processing disabled")
    } else {
        eventConsumer = consumer

        // Create handler with service dependencies
        {source}Handler := messaging.New{Source}EventHandler(someSvc, log)

        // Register handler for routing key pattern
        eventConsumer.RegisterHandler("{source}.*", {source}Handler.Handle)

        // Start consumer in background goroutine
        schedulerCtx, schedulerCancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
        defer schedulerCancel()

        go func() {
            if err := eventConsumer.Start(schedulerCtx); err != nil {
                log.WithError(err).Error("Event consumer stopped with error")
            }
        }()

        log.Info("Event consumer started")
    }
}

In the graceful shutdown section, add:

// Stop event consumer
if eventConsumer != nil {
    eventConsumer.Stop()
}

IMPORTANT: The consumer initialization must be: - AFTER all services are created (handler needs service references) - BEFORE app.Listen() (so it starts consuming before accepting HTTP requests) - Non-blocking: if RabbitMQ is unavailable, the service starts without event processing

Critical Rules

1. ExchangeDeclarePassive: NEVER use ExchangeDeclare for exchanges owned by other services. Use ExchangeDeclarePassive to verify the exchange exists without creating it. If it doesn't exist, skip the binding and log a warning.

2. Channel reopen after passive failure: When ExchangeDeclarePassive fails, the AMQP channel is closed by the broker. You MUST reopen the channel before trying the next exchange.

3. Return nil for unrecognized events: Unknown event types or malformed data should be acknowledged (not retried). Return nil to ack.

4. Return error only for transient failures: If a database call fails or a service is temporarily unavailable, return an error to trigger NACK + requeue.

5. Consumer goroutine context: Use a separate schedulerCtx (not the main server context), cancelled in graceful shutdown.

6. Interface-based dependencies: Event handlers should depend on interfaces, not concrete service types. This prevents import cycles (consumer package should not import service package directly).

7. Safe type assertions: Event Data field is any (usually map[string]any after JSON unmarshal). Always use the value, ok := x.(type) pattern with fallbacks.

8. UUID parsing: Always parse UUIDs with error handling. Invalid UUIDs should be logged and skipped, not cause a crash.

9. RawBody field: Set event.RawBody = delivery.Body in handleDelivery so handlers can re-parse the raw JSON if the generic Data field is insufficient.

10. QoS prefetch: Use Qos(10, 0, false) to limit concurrent message processing. Adjust if the handler does heavy I/O.

Post-Generation Steps

1. Run go mod tidy to add github.com/rabbitmq/amqp091-go dependency
2. Run go build ./... to verify compilation
3. Ensure RABBITMQ_URL is set in ETCD for the service
4. Test by publishing a test event to the source exchange