Python HTTP Server Project

Project Description

For this project, I built a simple HTTP server using Python. The server was designed to handle basic HTTP requests and responses, serving static files, and providing a foundation for more advanced web application development.

Key Components

1. Socket Programming:

   • Used Python's socket module to create the server.
   • Listened on a specific port for incoming HTTP requests.
   • Handled TCP connections and communication between the server and clients.

2. Request Handling:

   • Parsed incoming HTTP requests to determine the requested resource.
   • Implemented basic routing to serve different types of content based on the request URL.
   • Supported methods like GET and POST.

3. Serving Static Files:

   • Used file I/O to read and serve static files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images) from the server's directory.
   • Implemented MIME type detection to correctly serve different file types.

4. Response Generation:

   • Constructed HTTP response headers and bodies.
   • Managed status codes (e.g., 200 OK, 404 Not Found).
   • Sent responses back to the client through the socket connection.

What I Learned

1. Fundamentals of Networking:

   • Gained a deeper understanding of how TCP/IP and HTTP protocols work.
   • Learned about client-server communication and the role of sockets in network programming.

2. HTTP Protocol:

   • Familiarized myself with the structure of HTTP requests and responses.
   • Learned about different HTTP methods and status codes.

3. File Handling in Python:

   • Improved my skills in file I/O operations in Python.
   • Learned how to read, write, and serve files dynamically based on client requests.

4. Debugging and Error Handling:

   • Developed strategies for debugging network-related issues.
   • Implemented error handling for common issues like missing files and malformed requests.

5. Scalability and Performance:

   • Explored ways to optimize the server for better performance and scalability.
   • Learned about multi-threading and asynchronous programming to handle multiple client connections efficiently.

6. Practical Application of Python:

   • Applied Python programming skills to build a functional, real-world application.
   • Improved my understanding of