No dependencies, all in one: From debugging tools to a simple API framework!
🌟 This article teaches you how to create
- 🎯 Custom Routing System: Supports different URL paths
- 🗂 Static File Service: Direct access to HTML, CSS, JS
- 📦 JSON API Interface: Supports GET / POST
- 📝 Request Logging: Records access time, path, IP
- ⚡ Easy to Extend: Can embed small automation or intranet tools
🏗 Project Structure
We prepare a simple directory:
project/
├── server.py # Core service
└── static/ # Static files
└── index.html
<span>static/index.html</span> Example content:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head><title>Lightweight Server</title></head>
<body>
<h1>Welcome to Python http.server Practical</h1>
</body>
</html>
🔥 Core Code
from http.server import BaseHTTPRequestHandler, HTTPServer
import json
import os
from urllib.parse import urlparse, parse_qs
from datetime import datetime
# Static file directory
STATIC_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "static")
class MyWebServer(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
# General logging method
def log_request_info(self):
print(f"[{datetime.now()}] {self.client_address[0]} -> {self.command} {self.path}")
# Return JSON response
def send_json(self, data, status=200):
self.send_response(status)
self.send_header("Content-Type", "application/json; charset=utf-8")
self.end_headers()
self.wfile.write(json.dumps(data, ensure_ascii=False).encode())
# Return HTML file
def send_static(self, filename):
filepath = os.path.join(STATIC_DIR, filename)
if os.path.exists(filepath):
self.send_response(200)
self.send_header("Content-Type", "text/html; charset=utf-8")
self.end_headers()
with open(filepath, "rb") as f:
self.wfile.write(f.read())
else:
self.send_error(404, "File Not Found")
# Handle GET requests
def do_GET(self):
self.log_request_info()
parsed = urlparse(self.path)
path, query = parsed.path, parse_qs(parsed.query)
if path == "/":
# Return homepage
self.send_static("index.html")
elif path == "/ping":
# Return JSON
self.send_json({"msg": "pong"})
elif path == "/time":
# Return current time
self.send_json({"time": datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")})
else:
self.send_error(404, "Not Found")
# Handle POST requests
def do_POST(self):
self.log_request_info()
parsed = urlparse(self.path)
path = parsed.path
content_length = int(self.headers.get('Content-Length', 0))
body = self.rfile.read(content_length).decode()
if path == "/echo":
# Return original content
self.send_json({"echo": body})
else:
self.send_error(404, "Not Found")
def run(server_class=HTTPServer, handler_class=MyWebServer, port=8000):
server_address = ("0.0.0.0", port)
httpd = server_class(server_address, handler_class)
print(f"🚀 Server started: http://127.0.0.1:{port}")
try:
httpd.serve_forever()
except KeyboardInterrupt:
print("\n🛑 Server stopped")
finally:
httpd.server_close()
if __name__ == "__main__":
run()
🧪 Testing Effects
1. Open Homepage
Access via browser:
http://127.0.0.1:8000/
Displays <span>static/index.html</span> content.
2. Test <span>/ping</span> interface
curl http://127.0.0.1:8000/ping
Output:
{"msg": "pong"}
3. Get Server Time
curl http://127.0.0.1:8000/time
Output:
{"time": "2025-08-20 10:30:45"}
4. POST Echo
curl -X POST -d "Hello Server" http://127.0.0.1:8000/echo
Output:
{"echo": "Hello Server"}
🔧 Advanced Modification Suggestions
-
Multi-threading Support
from socketserver import ThreadingMixIn class ThreadingHTTPServer(ThreadingMixIn, HTTPServer): passReplace
<span>HTTPServer</span>with<span>ThreadingHTTPServer</span>to support simple multi-concurrency. -
Support JSON POST Check if
<span>Content-Type</span>is<span>application/json</span>and parse automatically. -
Simple Routing Table Use a dictionary to map paths and methods for better extensibility:
routes = { ('GET', '/ping'): handle_ping, ('POST', '/echo'): handle_echo } -
Intranet File Sharing Implement simple upload and download functionality with the
<span>/upload</span>interface.
⚠️ Notes
- Insufficient Security: Suitable for local development and intranet testing, not recommended for direct exposure to the public network.
- Limited Performance: Single-threaded version has weak concurrency capability, multi-threading or more professional frameworks are recommended for production.
- Limited Protocol Support: Only supports basic HTTP/1.0 and 1.1.
🧠 Summary
| Function | Implementation Method |
|---|---|
| Static File Service | <span>SimpleHTTPRequestHandler</span> or custom <span>send_static</span> |
| JSON API Interface | <span>BaseHTTPRequestHandler</span> custom response |
| Routing Management | Parse <span>path</span> or routing table |
| Multi-threading Support | <span>ThreadingMixIn</span> extend concurrency |
| Logging | <span>log_request_info</span> method records access |