C++ HTTP Server

A simple, lightweight HTTP server built from scratch in C++.

Description

This project is a basic HTTP/1.1 server implementation in C++. It's designed to be a learning tool for understanding the fundamentals of network programming and the HTTP protocol. The server can handle basic GET requests, serve static files, and has a simple routing mechanism.

Features

• Handles GET requests
• Serves static files from the public directory
• Basic routing for /, /health, and a 404 page
• Non-blocking I/O using poll() for handling multiple connections

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• A C++ compiler that supports C++20 (e.g., clang++ or g++)
• make

Building and Running

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd http-server

2. Build the server:

   make

   This will create an executable named server in the root directory.

3. Run the server:

   ./server

   The server will start and listen on port 8080.

Usage

Once the server is running, you can interact with it using a web browser or a tool like curl.

• Root: http://localhost:8080/ - Serves the index.html file.
• Health Check: http://localhost:8080/health - Returns a "200 OK" status.
• Static Files: http://localhost:8080/styles.css - Serves the styles.css file.
• Not Found: http://localhost:8080/foo - Returns a "404 Not Found" error.

Project Structure

.
├── Makefile
├── include
│   ├── http_types.hpp
│   ├── http_utils.hpp
│   ├── request_handler.hpp
│   └── route_handler.hpp
├── public
│   ├── index.html
│   └── styles.css
└── src
    ├── http_utils.cpp
    ├── request_handler.cpp
    ├── route_handler.cpp
    └── server.cpp

Key Files

• src/server.cpp: The main entry point and server logic.
• src/request_handler.cpp: Handles incoming HTTP requests and dispatches them to the appropriate handlers.
• src/route_handler.cpp: Maps routes to specific handler functions.
• include/http_types.hpp: Defines the Request and Response structs.
• public/: Contains the static files (HTML, CSS, etc.) that the server can serve.
• Makefile: Contains the build instructions for the project.