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

Answer 1

Java 6 has a default embedded http server.

Check the thread here

By the way, if you plan to have a rest web service, here is a simple example using jersey.

Answer 2

Undertow is a lightweight non-blocking embedded web server that you can get up and running very quickly.

public static void main(String[] args) {
Undertow.builder()
        .addHttpListener(8080, "localhost")
        .setHandler((exchange) -> exchange.getResponseSender().send("hello world"))
        .build().start();
}

Answer 3

Use Jetty. Here's a tutorial for embedding Jetty. (Here's an outdated tutorial.)

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

You can embed the Jetty server into your application. Jetty allows EITHER embedded OR servlet container options.

Answer 4

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 5

I wrote a tutorial explaining how to write a simple HTTP server a while back in Java. Explains what the code is doing and why the server is written that way as the tutorial progresses. Might be useful http://kcd.sytes.net/articles/simple_web_server.php

Answer 6

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