Simple HTTP server in Python




The default Python distribution has a built-in support to the HTTP protocol that you can use to make a simple stand-alone Web server.

The Python module that provides this support is called BaseFTTPServer and can be used in our programs just including it in our sources:

from BaseHTTPServer import BaseHTTPRequestHandler,HTTPServer

Hello world !

Let's start with the first basic example. It just return "Hello World !" on the web browser.

example1.py 

#!/usr/bin/python
from BaseHTTPServer import BaseHTTPRequestHandler,HTTPServer

PORT_NUMBER = 8080

#This class will handles any incoming request from
#the browser 
class myHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
  
  #Handler for the GET requests
  def do_GET(self):
    self.send_response(200)
    self.send_header('Content-type','text/html')
    self.end_headers()
    # Send the html message
    self.wfile.write("Hello World !")
    return

try:
  #Create a web server and define the handler to manage the
  #incoming request
  server = HTTPServer(('', PORT_NUMBER), myHandler)
  print 'Started httpserver on port ' , PORT_NUMBER
  
  #Wait forever for incoming htto requests
  server.serve_forever()

except KeyboardInterrupt:
  print '^C received, shutting down the web server'
  server.socket.close()

Run it by typing:

debarm:~/playground/python/httpserver# python example1.py

Then open your web browser on this URL: http://fox_ip_address:8080.

"Hello World !" will appear on your browser and two log messages on the FOX console:

Started httpserver on port  8080
10.55.98.7 - - [30/Jan/2012 15:40:52] "GET / HTTP/1.1" 200 -
10.55.98.7 - - [30/Jan/2012 15:40:52] "GET /favicon.ico HTTP/1.1" 200 -

Serve static files

Let's try an example that shows how to serve static files like index.html, style.css, javascript code and images:

example2.py 

#!/usr/bin/python
from BaseHTTPServer import BaseHTTPRequestHandler,HTTPServer
from os import curdir, sep

PORT_NUMBER = 8080

#This class will handles any incoming request from
#the browser 
class myHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
  
  #Handler for the GET requests
  def do_GET(self):
    if self.path=="/":
      self.path="/index_example2.html"

    try:
      #Check the file extension required and
      #set the right mime type

      sendReply = False
      if self.path.endswith(".html"):
        mimetype='text/html'
        sendReply = True
      if self.path.endswith(".jpg"):
        mimetype='image/jpg'
        sendReply = True
      if self.path.endswith(".gif"):
        mimetype='image/gif'
        sendReply = True
      if self.path.endswith(".js"):
        mimetype='application/javascript'
        sendReply = True
      if self.path.endswith(".css"):
        mimetype='text/css'
        sendReply = True

      if sendReply == True:
        #Open the static file requested and send it
        f = open(curdir + sep + self.path) 
        self.send_response(200)
        self.send_header('Content-type',mimetype)
        self.end_headers()
        self.wfile.write(f.read())
        f.close()
      return


    except IOError:
      self.send_error(404,'File Not Found: %s' % self.path)

try:
  #Create a web server and define the handler to manage the
  #incoming request
  server = HTTPServer(('', PORT_NUMBER), myHandler)
  print 'Started httpserver on port ' , PORT_NUMBER
  
  #Wait forever for incoming htto requests
  server.serve_forever()

except KeyboardInterrupt:
  print '^C received, shutting down the web server'
  server.socket.close()

This new example:

Run it by typing:

debarm:~/playground/python/httpserver# python example2.py

then open your web browser on this URL: http://fox_ip_address:8080.

An HTML home page will appear on your browser.

Read data from a form

Now explore how to read incoming data from an HTML form.

example3.py

Run this example:

  #!/usr/bin/python
from BaseHTTPServer import BaseHTTPRequestHandler,HTTPServer
from os import curdir, sep
import cgi

PORT_NUMBER = 8080

#This class will handles any incoming request from
#the browser 
class myHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
  
  #Handler for the GET requests
  def do_GET(self):
    if self.path=="/":
      self.path="/index_example3.html"

    try:
      #Check the file extension required and
      #set the right mime type

      sendReply = False
      if self.path.endswith(".html"):
        mimetype='text/html'
        sendReply = True
      if self.path.endswith(".jpg"):
        mimetype='image/jpg'
        sendReply = True
      if self.path.endswith(".gif"):
        mimetype='image/gif'
        sendReply = True
      if self.path.endswith(".js"):
        mimetype='application/javascript'
        sendReply = True
      if self.path.endswith(".css"):
        mimetype='text/css'
        sendReply = True

      if sendReply == True:
        #Open the static file requested and send it
        f = open(curdir + sep + self.path) 
        self.send_response(200)
        self.send_header('Content-type',mimetype)
        self.end_headers()
        self.wfile.write(f.read())
        f.close()
      return

    except IOError:
      self.send_error(404,'File Not Found: %s' % self.path)

  #Handler for the POST requests
  def do_POST(self):
    if self.path=="/send":
      form = cgi.FieldStorage(
        fp=self.rfile, 
        headers=self.headers,
        environ={'REQUEST_METHOD':'POST',
                     'CONTENT_TYPE':self.headers['Content-Type'],
      })

      print "Your name is: %s" % form["your_name"].value
      self.send_response(200)
      self.end_headers()
      self.wfile.write("Thanks %s !" % form["your_name"].value)
      return      
      
      
try:
  #Create a web server and define the handler to manage the
  #incoming request
  server = HTTPServer(('', PORT_NUMBER), myHandler)
  print 'Started httpserver on port ' , PORT_NUMBER
  
  #Wait forever for incoming htto requests
  server.serve_forever()

except KeyboardInterrupt:
  print '^C received, shutting down the web server'
  server.socket.close()

debarm:~/playground/python/httpserver# python example3.py

and type your name in the "Your name" label.