Create a simple HTTP server with Java?

Question

What's the easiest way to create a simple HTTP server with Java? Are there any libraries in commons to facilitate this? I only need to respond to GET/POST, and I can't use an application server.

What's the easiest way to accomplish this?

Answer 1

If you are using the Sun JDK you can use this built in library
Look at this site on how to use.

If n ot there are several Open Source HTTP Servers here which you can embed into your software.

Answer 2

Use Jetty.

Tutorial

Jetty is pretty lightweight but it does provide a servlet container which may contradict your requirement against using an "application server".

Answer 3

Jetty is a great way to easily embed an HTTP server. It supports it's own simple way to attach handlers and is a full J2EE app server if you need more functionality.

Answer 4

Embedding Tomcat is relatively painless as such things go. Here's a good StackOverflow reference about it.

Answer 5

A servlet container is definitely the way to go. If Tomcat or Jetty are too heavyweight for you, consider Winstone or TTiny.

Answer 6

The easiest is Simple there is a tutorial, no WEB-INF not Servlet API no dependencies. Just a simple lightweight HTTP server in a single JAR.

Answer 7

This is how I would go about this:

1. Start a ServerSocket listening (probably on port 80).
2. Once you get a connection request, accept and pass to another thread/process (this leaves your ServerSocket available to keep listening and accept other connections).
3. Parse the request text (specifically, the headers where you will see if it is a GET or POST, and the parameters passed.
4. Answer with your own headers (Content-Type, etc.) and the HTML.

I find it useful to use Firebug (in Firefox) to see examples of headers. This is what you want to emulate.

Try this link: - Multi-threaded HTTP Server Example (Java)

Answer 8

http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/jre/api/net/httpserver/spec/com/sun/net/httpserver/package-summary.html